Life turns on a Dime
by diva.gonzo
Summary: A Fresh Sheets Story. It's an ordinary Tuesday for the Granger and Weasley families until Life turned on a Dime. Hermione gets called - and deals with the ghosts of her past to cope with her life being turned upside down. Ron has to step up - for his in-laws, his wife, and his kids - to see things through. "Sweet Kisses" by the lovely Anxiouspineapples at deviantart and tumblr.
1. Oh Dear Merlin No

**Ch. 1 - Oh Dear Merlin No!**

* * *

**A/N:** I can't be JK Rowling. I don't fancy Malteasers. - DG

* * *

Hermione put down her satchel under her desk and saw the pile of arrest reports she had to review this morning. This was the tedium of the job, reading the parchment from the Auror department. Tuesdays mornings were arrest reports while the rest of the day was going over depositions for the Wizengamot as well as drafting other potential legislation for the Mugwump. Some were boring as can be, like setting off caterwauling charms in the middle of Muggle Birmingham, to the nefarious, like the attacks up in Northumberland, to the wacky, a wizard was running up and down the village lane in Cornwall waving his wand setting off fireworks – starkers.

Each one had to be reviewed by two in the department before any decision was made on what to do about the case. She didn't mind much. The department respected her for her keen legal acumen and astute analysis. It only took a few years for her to earn the respect of her peers in the department. Their initial biases were laid once she became a certified Solicitor and after her first successful conviction in the Wizengamot.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione looked up and saw the Director of MLE – Edward Smythe – standing at her desk. "My apologies but there is a meeting that was called on short notice. Care to join us for it? Director York asked for your presence today at the meeting."

"Of course, sir, right away. Let me get some writing materials." Hermione put down the rest of the parchment on her desk and grabbed fresh sheets of parchment along with quills and an inkwell. "Coming, sir."

* * *

Dr. Jean Granger was sweating. She knew that was odd. Sure, it was the early part of September in Oxfordshire and occasionally warm, but not enough to be sweating like she ran around town. She had been sick the last day or so, feeling nausea and occasional chills, but chalked it up to having the flu, even if it was early in the season. Thankfully her first patient wasn't until 10am so she had time to take some aspirin and drink plenty of hot tea to feel better.

Her husband walked in and saw her. "Why don't you go home dear? You look dreadful."

"But I have patients to see today?"

"Rubbish. I'll reschedule the ones this afternoon so I can handle your load too. Go home and I'll handle it today."

"Robert, I - "

Dr. Jean Granger fainted straightaway.

"Eunice, will you call the fire brigade? Jean fainted."

He turned her over and saw she wasn't breathing. "Oh dear G_d no!" He checked her neck and felt a weak and irregular pulse. "Stay with me Jean!" he yelled while moving her head into position.

"Eunice! Tell them to hurry. She's not breathing!"

Dr. Robert Granger started performing CPR on his wife of 40 years.

* * *

Hermione continued to take pristine notes in her meeting with the Directors of MLS. Her special cell phone – the one charmed by Arthur Weasley to work inside the Ministry of Magic – was buzzing feverishly for her every five minutes. She didn't know that her father was trying to call her every five minutes since her phone was in her purse inside the locked drawer of her desk – and not on her person.

* * *

Ron Weasley sat in his comfortable chair leafing through pages he was due to lecture on shortly. His office at the Auror Academy was quiet – and he liked it that way. He had three classes to teach on Tuesday. The first class was the one he taught for years – Seminar on Strategy and Tactics – which finished an hour ago. His next class – Integration of Muggle Tactics in Wizard Combat – was on his lunch hour – but was also his most rewarding. His last class of the day – at 3pm – was the most fun: Introduction to Combat spell casting. That class was reserved for first term cadets and he loved breaking in the students to Auror life. Students fought to get in there every term.

His cellyphone buzzed in his pocket. His dad was brilliant, charming a Muggle cellyphone to work with him. He laughed because it looked like a small brick but as much as Dad tried, he couldn't make the new ones work as well. He didn't mind. The only ones who knew the number was Hermione, Harry and Ginny, and his in-laws.

He pulled the brick out and looked at the number on the display, not recognizing it. He pushed the green button and answered, "Ron Weasley."

"Ron, It's Robert." His father-in-law sounded out of breath and agitated.

"What's wrong?" he asked stoically.

"It's Jean. We're on the way to the hospital. She fainted and was having a heart attack. I can't reach Hermione. Can you get her?"

"Heart attack? Jean? She's in better shape than Hermione?"

"I thought so too but she was looking right dreadful this morning and I asked if she wanted to go home and rest and she fainted straightaway. When I turned her over she wasn't breathing."

"Which Hospital? So I can tell Hermione?"

"Oxford University Hospital. We're going to the West Wing. They have a great Cardiac unit."

Ron penned a note for Hermione. He'd follow up shortly after getting to the hospital to check on Robert. "You want me up there now?"

"Would you mind? I'm scared."

"Let me send her a note and I'll be up there. She should be over shortly."

Ron hung up his phone while he finished his note and tore off his robes. He stopped by the Academy Director's office to tell him then run over and see Harry before he could depart for the hospital. He stepped into the Floo in his office and appeared in the Auror department Fireplace. Memos flew left and right above his head but he didn't notice.

His long strides had him at Director Potter's door immediately. He barged in without knocking, which was customary for them at the office. "Harry!"

Harry looked up from his desk and the piles of parchment. "What's wrong?"

"Robert, Hermione's dad, called. Hermione's mum had a heart attack this morning. I'm going to the hospital now. Can you cover for me today? I've got two classes I won't make today."

"Sure – go. I know where your notes are at."

"I'll let someone know as soon as I know something."

"Go on. I've got it here."

Ron raced out of the department to make his way for the exit and apparating to Oxfordshire.

* * *

Ron strode into the main foyer of the hospital. This place looked so different from St. Mungo's. The Wizarding hospital looked old and decrepit in comparison. This place was impressive, with new tile and brick walls and an abundance of glass. He immediately saw the welcome witch and asked where he needed to go. She politely informed him and sent him on his way.

Signs pointed him in the direction of the ER – down corridors and through emergency doors and around blind corners. He walked a myriad of halls that were bustling with people. He rode an elevator down one floor to the level where the emergency room was. A few minutes walking and getting lost twice, he came to the doors of the ER unit.

He looked around for a second in evaluation. Anxious family paced – some slept in fake leather recliners – some watched television mindlessly. It was nothing like St. Mungo's. Immediately he saw Dr. Robert Granger sitting by himself in the crowded room. No one else was near him which was what Ron expected. He walked over and sat down next to his father in law. No words were said but a strong hand on his shoulder made his announcement.

"I knew she had been sick the day before but she said it was the flu. How could I have missed it?" Robert said through his anguish. "I know better. I could kick myself for not insisting she go to the doctor yesterday."

"Hermione's the same way. She won't tell me anything unless she's got a bone sticking through or lost half her hand or screaming her head off. So it's no wonder that Jean didn't say anything."

"But she's my wife. I should know these things."

"They just don't want us to worry about them."

"Rubbish."

"I know."

Minutes passed while Ron watched the waiting room. There was a hum in the room that Ron couldn't put his finger on. One family stayed in the corner talking. He looked to the other side and heard a woman hysterically asking about her Dad. Another couple of people were asleep in recliners, blankets pulled over their heads while waiting for some news.

"I'm scared. Jean's been by my side since my days in the Navy. I'm lost without her."

Ron put a hand back on the older man's shoulder. "I've been there. We'll get through it somehow."

Robert turned and looked at his son in law. "Like what happened to Hermione while we were gone?"

"Yeah. We weren't even together at that point but she was still my best friend, along with Harry. I'd have done something stupid and drastic if anything had happened to her then, or even now for that matter."

"You remember that day, when she was going to tell us what happened, and then it all went sideways. You remember that day, don't you? She never told us anything after that day. But you know, don't you?"

Ron nodded in memory. That was one right scary day too for him – and the following ones too. Too many of his worst days involved the love of his life.

"I never told you how much it meant for you to be there for us when she fixed things. She might have been rowing with her mum something fierce but you were there. I knew you'd explain. I just didn't expect it to be that loud or that graphic."

"Yeah, 'bout that, sorry. I didn't mean to act a git then."

"It worked, though, didn't it?

"Yeah. Too bad Jean was still sore at me for a while."

"Eh. What can I say, she holds grudges like Hermione. That's where she got it from."

"But Hermione's like you that she fights for what she believes and won't take shit off of anyone, not even me. She calls me out when I'm acting a git."

Robert acted like he wanted to smile before turning to a grimace. "Speaking of, when is Hermione getting here?"

Ron looked at his watch. "I dunno. I expected her here some time ago. Let me go call her. You ok for the moment though?"

"I'm ok for now. Go call her and then come back here. I can't do this by myself."

"You won't be."

Ron stepped away from the seat and found a quiet corner out in the hallway. He looked and saw that he got no signal. _Blimey! So much for magic working down here._

He went further down the hallway trying to find a signal for his brick. He had to walk the entire corridor, almost to the exit to find a signal. He dialed her number and waited patiently for her to pick up. He hung up and tried again. And again.

_Sod it, I'm going back to get her._

Ron returned to the waiting room for his father in law. "Hermione's not answering her phone. I probably should go get her and bring her here. Can you wait a spell without me?"

"Yeah. I need Hermione here."

Ron squatted down to look at his father in law. Bloodshot eyes looked back at him. "Hold on until we get back. Got it? Can you do that for us?"

Robert nodded. "I will, for you."

Ron stalked out of the emergency ward to find his wife.

* * *

Hermione looked down at her lap at the volumes of parchment. The meeting lasted two hours with the Director going over his goals and plans for the coming year. A quick assessment showed twelve feet of parchment in her tight yet legible script. She knew that he wanted her presence for her skills in dictation and note taking more than her input. She was the youngest one present – she was trusted and respected – but not to the same degree that the rest of the directors were.

"Ron?" She walked out of the meeting room to find her husband standing at her desk. "Why are you down here? Did I miss a lunch date?"

"Where have you been the last two hours? We called, sent a note."

Hermione dropped the pound of parchment on her desk and found the note among the various letters. His sloppy handwriting stood out from the rest because of his script. "What's going on?"

"You don't know, do you?"

Panic was creeping up her spine. "Know what?"

"You might want to sit down then."

Hermione found her chair and sat back in it. "Tell me what's going on. It's not the kids, is it?"

"Not the kids. It's Mum."

"What's happened to Molly?"

"It's not Molly. It's Jean."

"What about Mum?" Hermione's voice grew louder.

"She's at Oxford University hospital. Your dad think's she had a heart attack this morning. I'm here to get you and take you there."

Hermione froze upon hearing the words _Heart attack, _getting lost in thought. Since the war ended so long ago, the relationship with her mum was brittle at best. There were few trips by the Grangers to their home in Cardiff. Hermione made more effort to keep her parents in her life. She would go visit and take the kids but the interactions with Mum were civil yet stilted and forced. They never talked about what happened to her – a gift given years ago never once cracked open or questions asked. Dad eventually understood but mum never forgave her. That was the price Hermione made to keep her alive: a lifetime of bitter recriminations. They might row like professionals in court but she was still Mum and she would protect her do her dying day.

She could handle the acrimony now in exchange for the years that she'd had since the war ended. Jean had grandchildren she loved and a life she was comfortable in. Her relationship with her daughter was another matter.

There was no choice to be made: Dad needed her and so did Mum. Hermione owed her nothing less than that.

Hermione ripped open her desk drawer where her personal effects were – purse, snacks, bottles of water. She snatched her purse out of the drawer and locked her files with an Auror grade locking spell. She yanked off her professional robes and threw it on the coatrack in the corner. She gave Ron a hard look while stalking towards him at the door.

"Now we can go."

Ron hustled to keep up with the tattoo of heel clicks on the floor of the Ministry. Ron easily kept up with her pace but he knew her. He saw her wand in her right hand shaking through the walk. This Hermione he knew best: focused with a purpose and determination. This Hermione changed the world and would walk through hell to do it.

They made the lift and rode quietly to the atrium. Her wand hand shook the entire time in the lift. Right now she couldn't show weakness but he knew she was going to fall apart before too long. He had seen it time and time again, whether in anger or frustration. It was only a question of when.

"Which hospital again?"

"Oxford University – John Radcliffe."

"I don't know the apparition point for that."

"I do. Grab on."

Hermione took her husband's hand in her left and he apparated them to the back alley behind the hospital.

On their walk Hermione never said a word.

They walked down the serpentine halls, riding an escalator that Ron missed the first time when he got lost on the walk to the emergency ward. After many turns and purposefully avoiding other visitors left and right they came to the ER waiting room. Hermione stopped at the doors and looked bereft. "What do I say?"

Ron pulled his wife into an alcove off the main hallway. He pushed her up against the wall and stepped close to her. "Go hug him. He needs you. We'll take it from there."

She threaded her thin arms around Ron, squeezing him tight once more. "I need you. I can't do this alone."

"You aren't alone and you won't be. But I have to leave and take care of things while you're here with him. I've got to make sure we still have jobs at the ministry and I have to make sure Mum can keep the kids tonight. I won't bring them up here since they're too small to understand and would be bored silly almost immediately."

"You're right. I trust you." Hermione stepped back and wiped the evidence of tears from her face. Ron watched in wonder how she put back on the façade, hiding her vulnerability, within seconds. He knew it wouldn't last though. Her hands betrayed her.

Hermione went back through the doors and to her father. She navigated the aisles of chairs, occupied and not, to find her father. She looked down upon his salt and pepper hair that he had in his hands. Robert looked up and there stood Hermione. She had grown into a beautiful woman, comfortable in her skin and comfortable in being an adult. "Hi sweetie."

"Daddy," she whispered.

He stood and she crumbled into his embrace. Robert looked at his son in law and nodded once. No further words were needed between the men. Ron stepped back and knew what he needed to do. He turned for the exit with the intentions of making arrangements for the rest of the day and the week.

* * *

An hour later Ron walked out of the Floo at the Ministry. He had already been to the Academy making arrangements for his classes the rest of the week. But he still had to do more at the Ministry, for their jobs with the Magical Law Enforcement. He also needed to run home and pack bags for the kids and get things for Hermione. Then it would be to see Mum and the kids and let them know what was going on and make sure mum was amenable to keeping them for the night.

He took the Auror lift down to the office and purposefully strode through the department to the director's office. The door was closed which was never a good sign but was also not surprising since they were actively hunting a rogue fugitive in the Northumbrian area. Instead he approached the director's personal assistant Matilda Blunt. She previous worked as a staff secretary before receiving her promotion. Ron liked her since she was fast, efficient and could keep up with the majority of the men in the department, whether in the realm of paperwork or training. She also took no shit off of the men in the department because of her choice of partner – a quiet witch in the Department of Mysteries. Ron joked a time or two but didn't press the issue further. He didn't understand it. Then again, many people said they couldn't understand why he was married to Hermione.

"Matilda, got a minute," Ron asked quietly.

"Yes Major Weasley?" she looked up from her scores of parchment on her desk.

"Is the director in?"

"He's in a meeting with the Minister. Anything wrong?"

"Well, yeah. I need to take emergency leave for the rest of the week, at the least."

"What's wrong?"

"Hermione's mum had a heart attack this morning and is in the hospital. I need to be there for her and also will have to do other stuff for them. Do you think you can help?"

Matilda turned in her chair to the enormous file cabinet on the opposite wall and pulled out a ledger that was probably ten kilos. She thumbed through pages faster than Hermione could have read and watched her work.

"Not a problem Major. No one's scheduled off this week and you've got plenty of time available. I'll make the arrangements."

"So I don't need to talk with the Director?"

"No Major. I've got you covered. Besides, you don't want to interrupt. The Minister has been in there for an hour and before it went silent I heard some arse reaming. He's fired up since the fiend in Northumberland hadn't been caught yet."

Ron shook his head. "I wonder if the Minister knows how hard it is to infiltrate a Werewolf colony to track a serial offender?"

Matilda leaned in closer. "I don't think he cares."

"Figures. They all want results the day before it happens," Ron grumbled in retort.

"Go on, I'll have it all sorted for you."

"Thank you," Ron said quietly before walking away from the scarred secretary. His next stop was MLS for Hermione's job. He hoped it wouldn't take long to finish at her desk.

Minutes later Ron walked into the MLS office looking for Director York. Spencer York worked in the department for ten years and was promoted to the Directorship shortly after Hermione transferred from Magical Creatures. He worked her hard but also respected her work and her efforts. His support for her work paid off in spades for her. She was the darling of the department and the first one they turned to for any questionable cases.

The director's office was open but he wasn't present. His assistant wasn't at her desk either.

Ron turned to look for some parchment. He needed to finish his errands before getting back to Hermione at the hospital.

"Major Weasley, what a surprise. How can we help you today?"

Ron turned and was greeted by Hermione's administrative assistant Emily Austen.

"I'm here for Hermione. She needs the rest of the week off along with the possibility of next week."

"What happened?"

"Her mum is in a hospital up in Oxfordshire from a heart attack. Her dad was there and they took her over. Hermione is already there but she's going to be in no shape to work today or for the rest of the week. Beyond that I have no idea what's going on."

"I'll handle the Director then. You get back to her. It's not like she doesn't have the time or any problems here."

"I'll send an owl once we know more. When I left her there she was with her dad in the waiting room. Unlike St. Mungo's Muggle hospitals are considerably slower."

"Oh I know. My grandmother is a Muggle and they are pathetic in comparison."

"If you need us, send an owl to the house. I don't think the hospital would appreciate owl droppings in their emergency rooms."

"Fair point but I don't think it'll be a problem."

Ron turned and hustled out of the department with the next stop being home.

* * *

"Hi sweetie."

"Daddy," she whispered.

He stood and she crumbled into his embrace. She held together just long enough to get there, feeling the magnitude of what her husband said in her office. Strong arms held her while she sobbed. He held her close like he used to do when her rows with her mum were too much growing up.

Hermione pulled back and wiped her hands across her face. Mascara smeared but she didn't care.

"Tell me what happened," she choked out through sobs. She sat down in the chair next to the one he occupied.

"Mum was feeling sick last night but she thought it might have been the flu. You know she's as stubborn as you are when it comes to going to a doctor."

"Yeah, in my case, I'm only in there if I'm giving birth or thinking I'm dying. Other than that, I won't go either."

"Right. Anyway, we went to bed last night and then up this morning. She had a cup of tea and toast before we went into the office. My first appointment was at half 8 so I did that and her first one was at ten. So when I finished my exam I came out of the office to check on her and she looked ghostly pale."

"Ghosts aren't pale. Those are inferi."

"Whatever, it's a saying. Anyway, she was looking very pale and clammy so I said she should go home and rest the remainder of the day. Not five seconds later she fainted straightaway. When I turned her over she wasn't breathing. I got Eunice to call the Fire brigade and I started CPR on her. They were there right quick like and rushed her here. I've not heard anything since I got here."

"How long have you been here?"

Robert Granger looked at his watch. "I guess about ten or so. Ron was here for a little while but went to get you. Where is he anyway?"

Hermione turned around and scanned the room. "He's probably back at the Ministry telling our supervisors about this and how much time we'll need. The kids are with Molly today so he might run by the house and pack them an overnight bag too.

"But that's Ron. He might be gone but he always returns."

* * *

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. People walked back and forth in the waiting room. Nurses occasionally called on the phone in the room. Names were called that weren't Granger. Robert pulled his cell phone from his pocket but it was dead. "Bloody hell, what happened? It was working fine this morning."

"That's probably my fault. Magic overwhelms electrical devices such as cell phones and television sets that aren't charmed or magically insulated. Arthur found something that works so I can have a working cell phone and things at the house. He's a whiz that way. He taught George and George made a fortune off of it."

"Is that why I couldn't get in touch with you earlier? Did your cell phone not work today?"

Hermione grimaced. "Sorry about that. I was called into a meeting with the Directors of Law Service for a two hour meeting and I didn't have my phone with me. So that was my fault. Even if I got Ron's note I wouldn't have gotten it immediately. The administrative assistants only hand over notes of high priority in the department. Then again, that might have to be changed whenever I go back."

Robert stood up from his chair. "I fancy a drink. You want anything?"

"How can you even think of that at a time like this?"

"I learned it in the Navy. You never miss an opportunity for a meal or a beverage or even a nap. Ron'll tell you the same thing if you asked him. I'm sure he had similar training to be an Auror."

"But you're a dentist?"

"It didn't matter at the time in the Royal Navy. Even dentists had to go through officer training before going into the Royal Dental Corps. So, for 13 weeks I did what the other officers did. It was eye opening. Anyway, I'm still getting you a cuppa. Ron'll agree with me that you need your strength too."

"Fine, whatever. I won't argue."

Robert laughed. "You still take it the same, right, a touch of milk and no sugar?"

"I still take it that way."

Robert walked off to the alcove where the electric kettles and coffee dispensers were.

There was a quiet hum about the room. Some corners were noisy, where kids were bored and trying to entertain themselves. Others were docile where family was trying to catch a nap. In another section a couple was eating from a takeaway sack, maybe from the hospital cafeteria.

Hermione felt nausea from the stress of the situation. _I'm a wreck. I don't know how Dad can do it. I know I couldn't stomach anything right now. At least I had my oatmeal and fruit this morning. _

Hermione got lost in her thoughts, thinking about Mum after the war ended.


	2. Questions while Waiting

**Ch. 2 – Questions while Waiting**

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not JK Rowling simply because I'm not tall, blonde and impossibly wealthy due to my writing.

* * *

_Jean stomped out of the living room t__o make her way out of the house. Hermione knew she needed time to work through what she just said. Dad sat in the corner while lost in his thoughts. _

"_You understand, don't you?" Hermione begged pathetically. "You realize why I did what I did."_

_Robert looked up at his daughter. "I know why you did it but you still broke our trust doing it. Then again, had we known how bad things were at school and the other world which you live in, we would have pulled you out after your first year. You would have been safe yet miserable. So it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't."_

"_I had to. Please believe me."_

"_I do but you should have told us before performing such magic without our consent. It was our choice, not yours. I could have convinced her given enough time and rational logic. You know your Mum. She holds a grudge a lifetime if the offense is bad enough. She might not forgive you for this."_

"_I can handle her anger. I couldn't handle losing both of you to murder, not when I could do something about it to protect you both. Choosing whether she's dead or mad at me for the rest of her life was no choice. It obviously worked since we're here having this conversation in Australia rather than me holding it over your gravesites."_

"_You're exaggerating."_

_Hermione pulled back the collar of her vest to show the still angry scar. "Does that scar on my neck look like I'm exaggerating? They would have killed you and not thought twice about it."_

_Hermione stepped closer to her father to let him inspect the still-angry wound inflicted there. She felt the delicate fingers probing the 3 inch scar on her neck, crossing precipitously close to the carotid artery. "From what I was told I nearly died from this one."_

_Gentle fingers traced the wound, probing like a dentist would. "You couldn't be healed with magic?"_

"_They tried and I nearly died from it. The weapon used on this was goblin silver. There was also something else on it to keep it from healing with magic or even strong potions. Ron's brother Bill was frantic trying to keep me from bleeding out from it."_

"_How'd he do it? It looks like stitches to me."_

"_He did. It was a literal last resort to save my life. It's a wonder that it worked, really."_

* * *

"_But Mum, if you'd just listen – "_

"_I'm tired of hearing your explanations. You've never said outright what happened up there at that school. All I hear about is the lovely praises and never, _I had a rubbish day._ Why can't we be told the good and the bad, Hermione? Why don't you tell us what really goes on?"_

_Hermione wanted to scream in frustration. "How you have reacted if I told you a three headed dog tried to bite my head off?"_

_Jean's body language told Hermione the answer before she could reply. "I'd say you were delusional since there are no three headed dogs."_

"_That's exactly my point. You've never believed me when I tell you the truth. It's always been that I'm lying. Why can't you understand that there is more out there than just what you read in a bloody book or see with your own eyes?"_

"_Oh and I suppose you're going to tell me that there are Unicorns and Mermaids and Dragons?" Jean said sarcastically. _

"_Well, yeah, especially since I rode on the back of a dragon a couple of months ago."_

"_Rubbish. There are no such things as dragons."_

_Hermione choked out a bitter laugh. _No wonder how Luna felt much of the time, me questioning her on things that are magical. Thestrals. Prophecies. That's a laugh now._ The irony wasn't lost on her this afternoon. Her mother was being so damn rational since she couldn't see the very things that would prove their existence. How she'd love to show her mum a Hungarian Horntail or a Welsh Green or that brilliant Opaleye she rode back in May. _

"_Why is it so hard to comprehend that there are things we can't explain? Why is it so hard for you to accept that there is more out there than meets the eye? Now that you know I do magic, was it so hard to call me a liar when I accidently destroyed my grandparent's cake? Is it so hard to rationalize that I could do accidental magic? Why is it so hard now to refuse to see what's in front of you?"_

_Hermione's vision went blurry for a moment. Her stomach dropped and a wave of nausea rolled over her. _

_Hermione turned for the loo down the hall. _

"_You get back here. We're not finished."_

"_I will when I return from the loo."_

* * *

_Voices echoed in her head. She vaguely remembered what happened yesterday. But then Ron was yelling and so was Mum. _Ron. _His voice was a balm to her ears. He would make sure she was taken care of._

"_That's enough, both of you. She's very sick and you're here rowing."_

"_She's my daughter and I'll not have you – "_

"_Please Mrs. Granger. Hermione is my responsibility since you don't know how to help her."_

"_Oh and you who broke her heart more times than I can count are now her protector? Who said you could be off leading strings and be responsible for my daughter? You barely need to shave once a week much less be responsible for life or death decisions."_

"_I promised her and I won't break it now. I will not have you move her to another hospital because there is nothing they can do for her there. You hear me, nothing!"_

"_But they said – "_

"_I heard them. I'm a wizard and I understood what they said. Muggle medicine can't fix her other problem, the serious one you can't fathom. They wouldn't know why she has such a problem."_

"_But they can treat – "_

"_That's not even important at the moment. What's important is that she gets the critical rest she needs now otherwise she will be hurt worse. I won't let that happen to her. It's already happened once and I won't stand here and let you do it to her."_

"_Like you understand what they said," Jean said scornfully._

"_Oh I did. I heard them say that if she didn't stay under the sleeping draught potions for the next three days that she would be in worse shape than when she came in. Bloody hell, it's bad enough that she has the trauma she has now. Do you really want her injured worse that she would have to be confined to a hospital? Is that what you want for her?"_

"_But her condition – "_

"_You didn't listen." Ron turned his attention back on Mrs. Granger. "The hemorrhaging was fixed the moment she came in. There's nothing they could do otherwise for that. What scares me silly is that if she doesn't sleep now, she won't be able to control her magic and she will go mad from it. Do you really want that?"_

"_Oh that's nonsense. That won't happen. You're full of it."_

"_Is it? Have you seen what a child of eight who can't control his magic can do? Harry blew up his aunt when he lost his temper – and he was twelve and had some control by then. Imagine Hermione, who is probably one of the strongest witches in England, and she can't control it? She could accidently kill you and not realize it. Hell, she could torch this whole hospital if she doesn't sleep and rest."_

"_You're making this up. You don't know anyone personally like that, do you? Why do you put such faith in these witch doctors?"_

_Ron paced frantically. Hermione could think of a way to convince Mrs. Granger how fragile the situation is. She was brilliant like that. Moments like this he wished he was in the bed and not Hermione. _

_Memory tickled his thoughts like Hermione's fingers on the back of his neck. A story told in haste some months back crept into his mind. _

_Ron turned and looked at Mrs. Granger. "I heard of one like her. Headmaster Dumbledore's sister was like that. She was attacked by Muggle boys as a child and terribly hurt. After that her family had to keep her out of school because of her magical rages hurting people. Do you really want that?"_

"_I don't but you're putting trust of her life into the hands of shamans and charlatans."_

_Ron stepped right up to her while using every inch of his height to stand his ground. "Face it Mrs. Granger. You're not moving her and that's final."_

"_Jean, that's enough. Ron's right. You know the oaths – first, do no harm. Moving her would probably hurt her. We'd be back here in a day if not sooner. Do you really want that?"_

_Hermione heard everything but couldn't act upon it. She was warm and comfortable and in no shape to fight her own battles today. She trusted her lover to do it for her. _

_Hermione settled back into the bedclothes and drifted back into a potion induced deep sleep._

* * *

Hours passed like days and yet like seconds as well. "Granger family?" a voice came across the room. "Granger family."

Father and daughter went to the black handset on the wall. Robert took the phone and listened to the voice coming through. Almost immediately he laid it back down into the cradle.

"What is it?" Hermione inquired.

"The nurse asked us to come to the locked doors there to the right. The doctors are ready to see us."

Hermione looked around once more for Ron but thought he was still out doing what was necessary with work and the kids before he returned to her.

She followed Robert to the double doors, seeing the bright red and white signs demarking Authorized personnel only. Through the safety glass she saw two men walking towards them. One was younger, maybe in his mid-30's with sandy blonde hair and an air of confidence about him. The other was who drew her eyes. He was tall and thin, much like Ron, but with salt and pepper hair that fell across his balding head. He was dressed in a full white doctor's jacket and talked with the younger doctor. Hermione instantly knew this was a man of importance.

The doors opened and they stood there. "Granger family?"

"Yes. Dr. Robert Granger, and this is my daughter, Hermione Granger-Weasley."

The older man's eyes widened slightly. "I've heard of you before."

"You have?" as Hermione stuck her hand out in lieu of greeting. "Have we met before?"

"No but my son went to school with you at the boarding school in Scotland some years back. He mentioned you often in his letters and correspondence."

"And you are?"

"My apologies. This is the ER Chief Resident, Dr. Kenneth Abernathy. My name is Lord Echlin, Director of the Cardiology group here. My son Kasey spoke very fondly of you his last year at school. He said you and another friend were particular in helping him."

Hermione thought back to the dark haired Ravenclaw so many years prior. She smiled in remembrance.

"Anyway, that's enough about me. You're here about your mum, Jean Granger. Please come with us. We have much to talk about."

The doctors turned and made their way through the maze of the hospital. They arrived to a patient elevator and rode it to the third floor. Dr. Abernathy swiped his badge across an RFID plate and the doors opened to the Critical care observation wing. They turned the corner and made their way to a sitting room which was across from the nurse's station. Monitors dotted the walls while bookshelves held patient binders and other paperwork. Patient rooms dotted the hallway further down the hall.

Dr. Abernathy filled a small paper cup with tea and offered another to Lord Echlin. Robert and Hermione politely declined their offer. Once settled in, Dr. Abernathy spoke up.

"We'll cut to the chase. Jean is critical. I won't make bones about it. If we had been five minutes later in treating her we wouldn't be having this conversation. She crashed on the table but we revived her almost immediately. As it stands, she's alive and we're trying to keep her that way."

Dr. Echlin turned to Hermione. "I know of your talents. Does your Mum share them with you?"

Hermione deduced the meaning of his cryptic question. She smiled in understanding. "No, I was gifted. Her talent is working on teeth and rowing with me about things not understood in my line of work."

"I understand." Dr. Echlin smiled. "Suffice to say, she is medically sedated right now and on machines to help her breathe and take the stress off of her heart. When she came in, we had her on the table in short order and went to work. She had a significant blockage that did some damage to the pericardial muscle. We hope to have blood flow restored completely in a day or two. For now, she's in a critical care room down the hallway. We'll keep her and monitor her progress. Maybe once the medications have time to work and the stents we put in does the job we can wake her up and re-evaluate her status ."

Dr. Abernathy's pager went off and he looked at it. He stood up and made his way to the door. "If you have any further questions ask one of the nurses to page me and I will be along. But for now, I've done the best I could with her." He quietly left the room.

"Would lock the door Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione put her hand on her wand in her pocket and did the locking incantation. "We're good now. So how is Kasey doing? I've not seen him in a year or so."

"He took a promotion at the Ministry working in their experimental labs. They are trying to find a way to make faster communications rather than owls. He likes it there. He has friends who share his passion. It's amazing how much he's changed since his last year at school. I like to think you helped with that."

Hermione blushed under the compliment. "It was Luna more than my efforts. She made a point to include him daily. I'll let her know the next time I talk to her which is supposed to be next month. When she comes to visit she stays with Harry and Ginny and the kids up in Wales. Harry's already said that Luna will always have a place to stay with them whenever she returns."

"Please let her know that I asked after her."

"I shall."

"So you have any further questions for me?"

"So what did you do?"

"She had a severe blockage in her heart so we administered medications to break the blockage before we could perform the angioplasty. Once in the vein we threaded it to the blockage and destroyed it. While we were in there we put in two stents to keep it from collapsing. All of this was done while she was on a bypass machine. We have her on a vent and on medications to let her heart recover. That's why she will be in critical care a few days – so we can closely monitor her and make sure that she doesn't have any more problems or suffer any more damage."

"But how is that possible? Mum is in excellent health. She eats right, walks almost daily."

"It's stress. She had evidence of high blood pressure that did long-term damage to her heart. Is there anything that would set that off and for so long?"

The Grangers looked at one another. "Mum's always had a temper and my actions didn't help matters much."

"Did you perform magic on her at any time? My research shows Muggles who are subjected to magic for too long have some long-term consequences."

"I did to protect them once the coup happened. No one ever mentioned that."

"It seemed prudent to ask since I have a magical child. It's not something that the healers at St. Mungo's will research unless they have to. With some reservations from the Board of Directors, I took the liberty and did my own research. I have a colleague there who had the opposite problem I did and helped me with the research. But it also explains how your mum has the particular health issues she does. But now that I know this, once she's healed from this, take her there and explain everything. They should be able to treat her to reverse much of the damage. She might not be healed entirely but it'll help her live a long and active life."

Hermione sat there in stunned silence. It took a minute for her to find her voice again. "What about Dad? I did the same thing to him too."

"Before you leave today, call my office that's on campus and schedule an appointment. It won't be cheap since I'm private but you'll be in quickly. We'll run the numbers and do a stress test and we'll know and go from there."

"Can we see her?"

"You can visit for a while. I'll leave instructions that one of you can stay with her all hours. Normally in the critical care ward the visitation hours are limited. But since I owe my son's life to you and everything you did those years ago, I'll bend the rules in this case."

Hermione looked at her hands and remembered taking fire scarred hands into her own that terrible morning. She remembered painfully healing his hands as best as possible before sending Luna with Kasey down to the Hospital wing. "You didn't have to do that Dr. Echlin."

The older gentleman took his glasses off and it was like he was a new man. He smiled so large it hurt. "I have and I did. The war did a number on him. That summer after the fighting ended I thought I'd lost him. I had reservations letting him return to school that next year but I'm glad I did. He made friends and he was a changed man after that year. Whatever you and Luna did to help him cope and grow made all the difference. I have you and Luna to thank for that."

"What about the machines in the room? Will magic affect them?"

Lord Echlin pulled his cell phone from his jacket and pressed the screen. Seconds later he put the phone to his ear. "Kasey, it's Dad. I've got a classmate of yours here and she had a question about the magical signature affecting a vent. What's the spell to insulate the machine?"

The three in the room sat while he listened. "Kasey said the insulation spell you need is _veneficus __repellendu__m_ and the movements are in reverse to the muggle repelling spell." Dr. Echlin listened further. "He said that you also need to keep six feet away from the machines so you don't fry the circuits."

"Tell Kasey I said thanks for that."

"She said to tell you thanks for that. Yes, you have to go. I'll see you this weekend. Thanks!"

Lord Echlin put his phone back in his pocket and put his hand out and they shook hands.

"Dr. Granger, if you have any other questions, please have the nurse ring me."

"Dad?"

"Let's go see your Mum. Thank you for your time Lord Echlin."

* * *

Ron finished packing overnight bags for the kids and a few things for them in his rucksack. He knew it would be a long night at the hospital and he didn't want to waste time running back and forth from there to their house in Cardiff. He had been gone two hours already and needed to finish up everything and get back.

Two suitcases and one rucksack later he was ready to stop in at the Burrow. He locked up and checked the wards on their residence before apparating to his childhood home down in Devon. No matter how many years passed it was still home. The lean of the house along with the garden and the shed were a comfort.

The last time he was here like this was when Hermione was in the hospital having Hugo. It had been years since they needed his parent's help keeping one of their children for an emergency. Ginny was the go-to person most of the time since she was home with the three lovable hooligans. Now that the kids were older and their jobs were more stable they didn't need babysitters as much as they had.

As much as he wanted to reminisce he had other responsibilities. He made his way to the house and to break the terrible news to Mum.

"Daddy!" the yells came once he stepped into the kitchen. Hugo was sitting at the table with a plate of biscuits in front of him while Rose was spilling her glass of pumpkin juice.

"Mum!"

Molly Weasley came out of the scullery looking worried. "Ron! What are you doing here during the middle of the day? What's wrong?"

Ron set the overnight bags down and hugged his mum. He held on longer than he had in ages, relishing the warmth of her embrace and the smell of fresh baked bread on her clothes.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Ron turned and sat down next to Rose while pulling Hugo onto his lap. "I need you to keep the kids for at least tonight. I have to go back up to the hospital."

"What! Is Hermione OK?"

"She is but Gramma Jean isn't."

For the next hour Ron dutifully explained what little he knew and what he was going to do. He'd have his tellyphone with him and he'd call Mum once he knew something. Molly made him a sandwich which he appreciated. He knew that they were in for long days and even longer nights. He kissed the kids and told them he would call tonight when he knew more. If he could he would have Hermione stop by. If he could arrange it they'd both come by this evening and see them to bed.

Ron turned to leave, grabbing his rucksack off of the floor. Strong arms hugged him fiercely. "I love you too Mum," he said into her graying hair.

"Go take care of your family. The kids and I will be fine here."

"Thanks Mum," he said thickly before walking out his back door. His next stop was the waiting room at Oxford University Hospital.

* * *

Ron walked the halls of the hospital for a third time today. One sandwich made by Mum didn't quell his hunger much but he needed to see Hermione before he would hunt up dinner. He knew she would be too overwhelmed to eat but he might be able to convince Robert to have something with him.

He made it to the waiting room and neither one of them were there. Taking a cue from his own experiences he went to the desk where a nurse was sitting. She looked him up and down in his uniformed attire. A small smile crossed her face. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for the Granger family. Did they go back already?"

"Yes sir. They went back to talk with the doctors about half an hour ago. Can I get your name so I can page the nurse's station for you?"

"Ron Weasley. My wife is Hermione Granger-Weasley."

The nurse smiled and leaned forward in her chair. "I've heard of you. My daughter said your name was in a particular history book."

"You must be mistaken," Ron said quietly. "I'm not in any history books."

The nurse at the desk crooked her finger. Ron leaned in to listen closely. "My daughter is a seventh year with Professor Binns."

"Blimey, is he still teaching that class?"

"Every student knows about you before they graduate." The nurse stood up to reach for the buzzer to admit him. "I'll let the nurses know up on three. But I'll walk you up there. You might have to wait in the lounge if there are two people in the patient's room though."

"Sorted. I won't mind. It's her mum back there."

Ron passed through the locked double doors into the Spartan white halls. This part of the hospital looked considerably older than the rest. He didn't understand why white tile and strange lights dotted the walls. He could ask Hermione later. She would know those things or would remember to ask someone else.

"My older son finished Hogwarts two years ago," the nurse said quietly. "We were surprised when he got his letter and a visit from one of the professors. Then the second letter came for my daughter and that was a shock too."

She stopped to look up at Ron. "I know you get sick of it but thank you. What you did, along with your wife and Mr. Potter made it safe for kids to go to school. You and your wife made it accepted for Muggleborns to have a place in the world. It's not easy but it's worth it."

Ron blushed while running his hand through his ginger locks. "You're welcome."

They continued walking in silence. They took many turns to get to the elevators to the Critical care section of the hospital. A short ride upstairs then more walking led to the waiting room for the ward. "You stay here and I'll go check with the duty nurse."

Ron slipped into the waiting room. In here the chemical smells weren't as bad. It was also cozier than the other waiting area. Couches and a television set were in the room along with movies and books and a desk to work at. He even laughed at the electric kettle on a small table along with a stale pot of coffee.

Ron saw movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Robert Granger walking in. He looked drained of his years from earlier. "You got back. I'm glad you're here. Hermione needs you."

"Where is she?"

"Room 12. She's having trouble right now seeing her mum like that. Then again, I am too."

Ron took his father-in-law in his arms and held the older man. He wept quietly, unlike his daughter.

Ron awkwardly stood with his father in law weeping onto his shoulder. He barely knew what to do. When Fred died those years ago the only one who would hug him was Hermione. But then when she let go Percy latched onto him and wailed like a banshee. Ron cried too, holding his brother up. He could do it again.

As suddenly Robert pulled back from his embrace. "Thanks for being here."

"You sure you don't need me?"

"Nah. I'm better now. Hermione needs you more than I do."

Ron surreptitiously wiped his face before opening the door.

"Oh and Ron? You might want your wand. I think Hermione silenced it while she was in there."

"Sorted. I can handle that."


	3. Bitter recriminations

**Ch. 3 – Bitter recriminations**

* * *

**A/N:** I can't be JK Rowling because I don't know Newt Scamander well enough to write a whole screenplay about him or his magical beasts. – DG

* * *

Ron stepped out of the lounge and saw the expansive nurse's station. Digital monitors were everywhere. A nurse was in the back alcove drinking a soda. Another nurse was sitting in front of the bookcase filling out paperwork. A third sat in front of the bank of displays doing what he had no bloody clue. All the information he saw looked like gibberish. He couldn't fathom how one nurse could process all of that information.

_Bet Hermione could do it. She's brilliant that way._

His heavy footfalls echoed down the hallway. He knew in his heart that Hermione needed him but he had no idea how she would need him. It could be guilt or anger or grief. Anything was possible with her.

He saw the cracked door to Jean's room but didn't hear a noise. Robert was right that she had silenced the room. He took a step into it and closed the door behind him. Another step into the room and he saw why they were upset. Under the blankets and tubes and wires and cuffs lay Mrs. Granger. She looked tiny in her bed, much like Hermione did those first frightening days at Shell Cottage all those years ago. It was strange that there was no noise from any of it. Yet there stood Hermione above her mum, holding her hand to her cheek. Her vinewood wand was lying on the faded red blanket covering his mother in law.

Ron stepped closer to his wife. He watched tears cascading down her face in silent misery. Another step and he was standing behind her. Both of her hands were occupied so he put his hands on her shoulders. One firm squeeze and she leaned back against his frame.

"It's my fault she's here. The cardiologist said that keeping her under magic so long hurt her. They said that her heart stopped while she was on the operating table while they were trying to stabilize her. They brought her back. She's hooked to machines to help her breathe so she can recover."

"You don't know that. No one could have. Wait. How would a Muggle doctor know that?"

"His son was at Hogwarts. He said it was just smart to learn how magic works on Muggles. He also said if she recovers physically to take her to St. Mungo's and have them check her further." Hermione shuddered once. "It doesn't matter though. It's still my fault she's here lying here."

"Bollocks. You protected them. That is why she's lying here in this bed and not dead."

"It's my fault for not telling them everything. Mum needed to trust me and I did nothing to keep it. I tossed it aside like a torn parchment. I didn't make the effort to help her understand. Why did I wait so long to tell her?"

"Rubbish. She's been mad at you for years. You can't make her change that. You've done all you could to help her realize that. It's her fault she won't reach her hand out to you."

"I could have come home, skipped a year and worked on my relationship with her."

"And you'd have been miserable almost immediately. You weren't healed from the war either. Hell, none of us were and it's a wonder we cope as well as we do now. Merlin knows how any of us got to this point really, broken and brittle as we were. But this isn't about you, is it? This isn't the guilt you have, is it? You know you've done everything possible to make amends for everything and it's just not enough. Everything you've done for her was never enough was it? This is the shadow you've stood in for so long, isn't it? That was part of what the locket whispered to you – that you weren't good enough for anyone."

Hermione gently lowered her mum's hand back to the blanket. A storm was brewing and he knew it, saw it, felt it. He knew the anger that had been there for years needed to let loose. He hoped Hermione was about to break and start yelling. Mum didn't need to hear it – and neither did anyone else. He didn't think the rest of the ward needed to hear the explosion that was about to happen.

He pulled his own wand from his pocket and put a silencing charm around Mrs. Granger. Ron was glad he was the one to handle it.

He watched Hermione stalk to the window and look out onto the courtyard below. Healthier patients were walking around or sitting on benches smoking the afternoon away. None of that mattered. Only the emotions boiling in her head and heart – the pain of her youth – took precedence. Ron watched her ball her fists in her hands and square her shoulders. He felt it at the distance he was now, raw magic bubbling off of her like a badly mixed potion in a cauldron. Ron assumed that if she turned around he would see the witch who fought Bellatrix on that terrible day, the one who could throw bluebell fire and the determination to kill without mercy.

"I never measured up to her and I've certainly never been good enough. She was always smarter, who learned faster, read more, accomplished more. She never understood me as a child, always fighting rather than teaching me to cope. Even being the swot I was it still wasn't enough for her. I needed to do more, study harder, get better grades. All because she was that way and expected the same results from me.

"She didn't care that I hated being in those schools. She didn't care that I hated being the smartest one in the class. I couldn't help the other kids were bloody stupid. She didn't care that the teachers weren't smart enough to teach me. Mum didn't care that kids taunted me – picked on me for my teeth, for my hair, for having my nose in a book. All she would say is that I have to do better. But she never said how I could do that.

"When I had bouts of uncontrolled magic she called me a liar when I said I didn't do it. Turns out I did do it – but that didn't matter to her and how her bloody rational mind works.

"So when the letter came – and Professor McGonagall showed up with my letter and told me about this new world – where I was special and could be taught – Mum balked. She didn't want me to go there. She wanted me to go to the elite school in town, just like her. She wanted me to have those same accolades she had. Nothing less than what she did was good enough.

"Dad intervened. He said that I needed the chance to learn more than the Muggle schools to offer. He'd let me fight my battles with her, but he was also the only one she would listen to and change her mind for. She never said another word after that, at least for going to Hogwarts."

"I'd come home on breaks and we'd talk. But when I wanted to explain to her what I was doing – what I was learning at Hogwarts – she turned a deaf ear to it. She couldn't understand why I thought charms class was fascinating. She couldn't fathom why Arithmancy was so astounding. She couldn't understand my complete frustration with potions and the professor teaching it. But if I explained that potions class was wizard chemistry – and ancient runes were a different language, like Latin, she'd listen then. It doesn't matter that there are dragons, and unicorns and mermaids. If she can't see it and touch it then it doesn't exist."

Hermione turned and Ron fought the urge to step back from his wife. Her face was contorted in anger and grief. It looked unbecoming on her beautiful features.

Hermione stalked back to the bed. A glare was given to the woman in the bed. "How could I talk to you? How could I trust you when you didn't believe me when I was telling you the truth? You're worse than I am when talking to Luna. No wonder why one of my best friends looks at me like I had horns sprouting out of my head when I said thestrals were rubbish. It's the depth of our friendship that she still talked with me when I told her that crumple horned snorkacks don't exist but yet she believed they do. No wonder why she looked at me like a precocious child when I claimed that I understood magic as well as she did. It was only after our last year that I realized I hadn't touched the surface of what I understood, how deep magic really goes." She leaned over and grabbed the protective railings on the hospital bed. Her knuckles turned white from straining her grip on them.

The first tear fell from frustration. "It's painfully ironic that I can talk about these things now when you can't refute anything I say with your blasted rational logic. You need stuff shoved under your nose and before your face before you'll believe anything I tell you. It' a wonder that I wanted to be you when you're more closed minded and short sighted than I am."

Ron saw the second tear fall.

"Even after I had to send you away, to keep you alive and safe, you were on my mind daily. No matter how distant we were, no matter how disconnected we were, I thought about you ever single day. I knew I could keep going, knowing that you were safe, where no one could hurt you. It worked but at a terrible cost. I would pay it again and not have a moment's regret.

"But I rather have you mad at me a lifetime and still have you in my life than you go through what I did. I rather you hold your grudge out of ignorance against me, your own daughter, if it meant that you got to see your precious grandchildren."

"Hermione," Ron said quietly.

"I'm not finished yet," Hermione snarled. "She needs to hear everything. For once she will listen. I don't want her dying on me and not knowing what I'm thinking."

Ron glanced right and saw his father in law in the doorway. He beckoned him in wordlessly so he could hear the rest of her recriminations.

"I'm a witch whether you like it or not. I am strong, powerful and bloody brilliant but I'm not you. Be mad at me for not being you but I'm tired of trying to live up to your unreasonable expectations of perfection. My path went a different way and I took it. But I will no longer be guilty about protecting you from people who would have slit your throat and laughed about it. And I certainly won't be arsed about your recriminations about the choices I was forced to make. Fifteen years of apologies are long enough. I'm finished apologizing for the animosity you feel about how you were treated."

"Hermione," Ron said quietly again.

Hermione turned her attention from her mum in the bed to the important men in her life. Ron looked upset but was trying to be stoic. Her father on the other hand held his hands out for her. "Oh sweetie, come here."

Strong arms engulfed her. The sobs started in earnest. Her cries of grief echoed in the small room.

Ron watched his wife and father in law embrace. He knew she was upset and hoped that she felt better after her talk with Mum. Hermione didn't need to know that her mum didn't hear a word of it. It didn't matter to Jean – only to Hermione had the courage to finally say what should have been uttered years past.

Ron clutched the wand in his pocket and released all of the wards and charms in the room. Noise immediately buffeted his ears in the enclosed space. Monitors beeped and hissing from pumps in the room made for a strange musical. Noises he didn't notice intruded on his hearing.

Yet none of it could drown out his wife crying in her father's arms.

Ron went to sit down on the orange hideaway couch on the far wall. It was too short and looked uncomfortable. It was also the only seat in the room. He sunk down onto it and felt a piece of the retaining board under his bony arse. "Bloody hell, couldn't they get something comfortable to sit on?"

Robert turned and gave Ron a quipped eyebrow. "Be thankful it's not a reclining chair or a regular one. On those you can't sleep worth a damn. I know. I slept in one for four nights when Jean was in the hospital after having Hermione. I thought my neck would never be the same again. It's a wonder I didn't need a neck brace."

Ron laughed at that image.

"First night we brought this one home was the best day and the longest night. She cried so much even after feedings. I thought she'd never pipe down. We tried everything but she didn't want to go to sleep. Looking back I realized that the world around her was too exciting to sleep in. But then Jean got out a book and started reading aloud to Hermione and within minutes she was fast asleep. Even as a newborn she loved a good story." Robert looked down at his daughter still nestled in his arms. She hadn't recovered yet from her emotional ordeal. "We've not been back in a hospital in ages. After this visit I don't want to come back again."

"What can we do for now Mr. Granger? It looks like she's fine except all of those tubes stuck to her face."

"The doctor's said that they are going to leave her on the machines a day or two so she can rest and heal some. We were fortunate. For most people who this happens to, it's fatal. She's part of the 3% who lived through it. Even so, there's no guarantee that she will wake. Anything can happen in a hospital." Robert felt a shudder in his arms. "That doesn't mean that there aren't things the doctors can do to help her. I looked at her chart while you were in the room. She's well taken care of for the time being."

"What if she doesn't wake?" Hermione asked softly.

"Then we'll deal with that when the time comes. You might not believe it but we're doing what she asked if this situation happened. We've had legal papers drawn up since the day you were born."

Robert untangled Hermione's arms from around his body. Her makeup was completely gone and her hair was a disaster. "I'm going to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"I'm not hungry."

Robert turned to his rather uncomfortable son in law on the couch. "Ron, do you want anything to eat?"

"Sure. Whatever you get is fine 'cept corned beef. And get two of it whatever you order. I'm famished."

"I forgot you had a hollow leg for a stomach."

"What can I say? I train with the students three days a week when I'm not at the ministry. Those kids try to wear me out."

Robert turned back to his daughter before him. "Will you stay here and keep an eye on her while I'm gone?"

"'Course Dad. I'd never leave mum by herself."

"We'll be here when you get back Mr. Granger."

* * *

Ron sat quietly while Hermione stood silent vigil at her Mum's bedside. A terrible thought came to him. "Hermione?" Why are her electronic machines still working? Shouldn't they have gone nuts since we've been in here? It's not like the Muggles here would know about us before she was admitted." Ron didn't want to admit to Hermione that the nurse at the front desk knew who they were.

Hermione kept her eyes on her mum. "I set protective charms on them before I took three steps in the room. As long as I don't do anything more than hold her hands the machines will keep working."

"But what more do you want to do?"

"I'd love to give her a kiss on her forehead but that would blow out both machines. I don't dare touch her any closer."

"And Dad? Can your dad get closer to her?"

"He's fine. I just can't let us get closer. It's a version of the Muggle repelling spell – but in this case, it's a wizard repelling spell. It's tricky but I think it works."

"I won't take that chance. It's your Mum and all."

Hermione slumped over the edge of the bed. "I already fried Dad's phone today. He wasn't happy it wasn't working."

"Would you stop that, taking blame for everything that's going wrong?"

Hermione finally turned and glared. "It's my fault his phone is fried and he has to get a new one. It's my fault that Mum is here, in this bed, so close to death."

"That's bollocks and you know it."

"Excuse me? Where do come off telling me that."

"You might be responsible for the phone but your Mum is responsible for this. She waited to get checked out and this is the consequence. You didn't strap her down on a bed and make her stay away from a doctor for her illnesses so don't take the blame for what happened."

"But I'm the one who got her into this. I'm the one who put her under the corrosive spell for a year."

"That was 15 bloody years ago," Ron said in a raised voice. He stopped and took a calming breath before saying something else. "You are not responsible for her those in-between years. Much has happened between then and now, for both of you, since you removed the spell from her."

"But the specialist said that I am. The cardiologist we talked with said it was a contributing factor. His son works at the Ministry and did necessary research and determined how dangerous it is to Muggles. Leaving her under the spell for a year did damage."

"Did he say how long he knew this?"

"Not long. It's been a few years at the most."

"So it's recently discovered information that you wouldn't have known back before everything went to hell? That should tell you right there that no one bothered to find out until recently. Blame pureblood bias for not understanding the consequences of magic on Muggles. Their attitudes then were worse than the lack of knowledge. So instead of beating yourself up over it, why not be thankful that this happened – that they could do for her what most can't – and when she recovers you can help others too. Isn't that what drives you? You want to help those who are truly less fortunate?"

Hermione's shoulders slumped. Ron stood up from the couch and went to her, bringing her back to the uncomfortable couch. He sat her down where he could look at her closely. One long finger pushed her chin up where he could see her bloodshot brown eyes.

"Hey. Talk to me. What's going through that impressive mind of yours?"

"What's the point of saving our world if I can't save Mum?"

"Is that why you're upset? You're mad that she's lying in that bed sick and you can't do a damn thing about it?"

"Wouldn't you if it was your parents?"

"'Course I would. I'm not questioning that. What I'm wondering is why the guilt over this? Your mum knows what to do. She knows medicine and knows how to take care of herself. Why do you feel guilty for her choices?"

"I can't help how I'm feeling right now. Ever since I learned I could do magic the relationship I have with them changed. They might be older and wiser but they are in essence children in comparison. I couldn't stand aside and leave them to fend for themselves when the war was breaking out. You saw their house when we returned. It's bloody fortunate they left so quickly after I altered them. We could have returned to find them dead or worse off." Hermione leaned into her husband's shoulder and curled up into his waiting arms. "Mum and I might fight like two kneazles in a sack but she's still mum and I'll be heartbroken if she doesn't wake up."

"I know. I know it hurts that your relationship with her isn't like it is with Mum I know it affects you after we go out to dinner with them. I've seen you come home with the kids from their house and be withdrawn the rest of the day."

"You forget how fragile my relationship with Molly was there for a few years. I didn't do myself any favors by taking you from them so soon after we returned. I didn't help matters by being so stubborn and prideful not to listen to her or help her when she needed us."

"Bollocks and you know it. You and Mum were barmy after the war ended. It was enough that you were pulling me in opposite directions, much less taking chunks out of my arse at every opportunity."

"She backed off because I helped George get back on his feet. We didn't settle into civil conversation until you put that ring on my finger. But the relationship changed for the best once I put her kidnapper behind bars for good."

"Nah, you're mental. Both of you are so alike it's not even funny. She was appreciative that you got me and Harry home alive from the war. But you two were so hurt from what happened – and with me in the bloody middle of it all – that you needed time apart to get better and then make things better. She killed someone. She had to learn how to cope with that too. Once she got over her grief about Fred – and had something to look forward to with the birth of Victorie – she came to accept what happened that day.

But out of all of the wives and girlfriends – especially Ginny – she respects you the most. Then again you were there for her when none of us could understand what she went through and how she could recover from it. Hell, it's not like any of us knew what you went through. I certainly didn't. But then you have Ginny and Luna as your best friends and they knew what you went through and could help you when none of us could. You were then able to help Mum when none of us knew the first bloody thing."

Silence was his answer. Ron looked down at his witch in his arms and she had drifted off to sleep. _She needed it. Today has been terrible. I can't imagine. _Ron looked over at his mother in law in the bed. She was almost peaceful under the blankets. The only way he even knew she was still with them was the incessant beeping of the machines. They fascinated him, helping her breathe and watching her heart beat on the machine. _Muggles are something else, making things work like magic. Dad would love to see this but he'd hurt her accidently if he was here. _

Ron looked around the austere room. It was more utilitarian than St. Mungo's. There was the broad window with a curtain and below it a large cabinet full of drawers. The wash basin was across from the bed with a small cupboard next to it. There was a toilet in the corner with a curtain, as well as the machines that Mrs. Granger was hooked up to, keeping her breathing along with monitoring her heart. Aside from the couch that they were sitting on, it was sparse.

He looked at his watch and the dial said seven in the evening. It was late enough considering how early they were awake this morning.

The door opened and a nurse came into the room. "Mr. Granger?"

"Nah. I'm Ron Weasley, his son-in-law. He's stepped out to get something to eat. Can I help you?"

"My name is Estelle. I'm the nurse on duty for Mrs. Granger. I'm here to check her vitals and see how she's doing on her medications. Have you been here long?"

"Not really," Ron said quietly. "My father-in-law was with her when she had the heart attack and he called me. I went to get my wife – Mrs. Granger's daughter – and we came back. They've been here a few hours. I only returned a short while ago."

"It's nice to meet you." Estelle went back to work transcribing notes on her clipboard. She checked tubes and wires and monitors and apparatus with efficiency.

"Estelle? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Mr. Weasley."

"Can she hear us?" He pointed a long finger at his mother in law.

Estelle stopped her inventory and looked at Ron on the couch with a sleeping Hermione. "The medication she's been given knocks out a hippo in small doses. She's on a medium dose. So today she wouldn't know. Tomorrow might be another story. Doctors will say that she can't. From my own experiences though, the patient knows if not completely. Personally, I think talking with them like you would a normal conversation helps. It gives them a reason to keep living and wanting to come back – that they are still wanted. So honestly, it never hurts."

Estelle finished her paperwork before silently slipping out of the room.


	4. I'm going to make Mummy better

**Ch. 4 - I'm going to make Mummy better**

* * *

**A/N: Nope - still not JK Rowling even if I'm traipsing in her wonderland. **

**A/N2: **_This chapter is why this story is M rated. Just sayin'. - DG_

* * *

"I'm not surprised she fell asleep. I'm sure it was quite a shock to see her mum like this. Then again she's usually better when she wakes from her crash nap. But when she wakes up we'll go home for the night. I dunno if she'll get any sleep though."

"What are you planning on doing once you leave here tonight?" Robert whispered back.

"We'll swing by and see the kids and mum'll probably feed us. I know that she'll have questions and such." Ron looked down and saw his wife stirring on his lap. She had been asleep maybe an hour when she dozed off. "We'll head home afterwards then be back up here tomorrow morning." Ron ran his fingers down his wife's chin before giving her shoulder a squeeze. Brown eyes opened and saw bright blue ones.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey yourself. Have a good nap?"

"What time is it?"

Ron checked his watch. "It's a little after eight. You fell asleep in the middle of our conversation."

Hermione sat up and rubbed her hands up and down her face. "I can't believe I did that. I've not done that in years."

Ron rubbed her shoulders and felt the tension lessen some under his fingers. "Don't be. You've had a rough day."

She looked over at the hospital bed. "Still no change?"

Ron continued to rub her shoulders. "Nah. I talked with the nurse while you were asleep. They gave her a sleeping potion, I think. It's sounded stronger than the Wheeze's Catatonic potion, but without the whiskers. She might come out of it tomorrow or the next day but the nurse didn't know for certain."

"Why don't the two of you go on home and get some rest. I'll stay up here tonight and keep her company." Robert spoke up from the other side of the room. He had been brushing his wife's hair.

"But Dad – "

Robert scoffed at his daughter's comment. "Rubbish. Someone has to get some sleep and I'll be awake worrying as it is. Besides, you've not eaten anything since we got here and that's not healthy for you."

"I'm fine. Really. I'll get something later."

"You'll do Mum no good if you're not taking care of yourself. That includes not eating, staying up all night, or coming down sick. If you get sick they won't let you come up here. So go on and kiss my grandkids and get some sleep. We're not going anywhere tonight."

Ron pulled his wife up off of the couch. "Don't argue with the man. We're going to the Burrow so we can eat and kiss the kids."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Looks like what I want right now doesn't amount to anything."

Ron smirked at her. "Nope. Tonight we're in charge."

"Fine then. We'll go. But I'll be back up here early."

"That's fine then. But go get some rest. I have a feeling this won't be a two day affair. This might be something longer." Robert looked at both of them. Hermione could only guess what her father was thinking. "I know Mum was in good shape before but I don't know what's going to happen now. Things might change. I just don't know."

Nurse Estelle slipped in the open door. "Evening. I'm here to check on Mrs. Granger and give her the 8pm meds. I thought I'd let you know that visiting hours are ending shortly. I know Lord Echlin left orders that one of you could stay the night with her."

Ron looked around for his rucksack. "We're about to leave Estelle. But we'll be back in the morning."

"So you're staying Mr. Granger?"

"I am but I'll stay out of your way."

"You're fine; you're not in the way." The nurse turned to Ron and Hermione. "She's in good hands. We'll take good care of her tonight."

Ron made his way to the door. He wanted to give his wife a moment without him. Sure enough, she picked up her mum's hand and pressed it into her cheek, whispering words only she could hear. He knew what she was saying – he said those words to her on many occasions. Next was a hug from her dad with more soft words shared between then. A kiss on her cheek and she was walking to the door.

Hermione passed him and was halfway down the hall before started after her. "Hey, slow down there."

Her stride and pace reminded him of Auror training – hustling without hurrying. She slid by people in the corridors like they weren't there where he tried not to run over everyone in his path while trying to catch up with her. He knew this was her way of hiding from her emotions, her way of stifling the overwhelming feelings. He'd catch up to her in a second in the twists and turns in the labyrinthine corridors. She kept pace out the double doors to the waiting room and further to the front atrium.

"Blimey, Hermione, slow down!" Ron finally caught up with her on the front walkway leading to the apparition point around the corner. He grabbed her arm to stop her. "Slow down!"

She turned and he saw why she was practically running. Tears flowed freely down her shadowed face. "Come here!" as he pulled her into his embrace. "She's gonna be ok. She's a fighter, just like you are."

"But Mum," she hiccupped "Mum's older. She could stay like that. There's so much I didn't get to say to her. She could get sick while on the vent. She could come down with pneumonia and die from it."

"You don't know that. None of us can right now. She needs you right now. You have to stay strong, to stay positive and know she's going to get better. Give her a reason to come back to us."

"But she's been mad at me for years."

"So? She's still your mum and she loves you dearly, even if she's fucked up on how she shows it. Mum was mad at you too but loved you to pieces. She just needed time to work through her shite before she could realize how bloody amazing you are. Hell, Jean's probably mad and it's nothing to do with you but she knows you can handle it. It's like when we row. You're the only one strong enough to handle me. If I yelled at Mum she'd give me that look and I'd sit down and get a thrashing – when what I need is to get that anger out."

Hermione stood there silently. Ron watched her tears stop and her breathing return to normal.

"She's in good hands tonight. Dad's there and the nurses are checking on her often. She's going to be fine – and if there is a problem we can be here quickly, yeah? There's nothing to really worry about tonight. It's not like we can do anything for her anyway, is there? We just have to wait and let her heal."

Hermione nodded quickly. "You're right. But I'm scared. She might not recover. She could end up like Frank and Alice."

"I didn't think you would either and yet here you are. You've got to have some faith. Now come on, let's get to Mum's so we can see the kids. I bet they miss you terribly."

Hermione looked in Ron's shadowed blue eyes. "What do we tell them?"

"We tell them the truth where they can understand it: Gramma Jean is sick and in the hospital. Mummy and Daddy are there with Grampa Granger to help her get better. They don't need to know the other stuff. It'd just confuse them."

"When did you get so smart?"

Ron lowered his head and gently kissed his wife. "That happened the day you kissed me." She smiled back at him for the first time since everything went pear shaped. "Are you ready to go see the kids? Mum might need you but the kids need you too."

* * *

Ron checked the wards on the property. They came through the Floo from a late dinner at the Burrow with Mum and Dad and the kids. Mum was fantastic, having gotten them a bath along with ready for bed. Hugo had just dozed off in Granddaddy's lap in the parlor when they arrived and cried when Hermione put him in his bed. He only settled down to sleep when Ron read him a bedtime story about dragons and a prince rescuing a damsel in distress.

Rose was another story. She asked so many questions. She was just as excited to know about the machines as his Dad was. He knew Hermione was emotionally spent today so he did the best he could. Ron ended up answering most of them and probably screwed half of it up in explaining it to her.

While he was explaining to Rose, Molly plated leftovers for them to eat. He demolished the leftover leg of lamb, roasted parsnips, gingered carrots and a loaf of bread. Hermione ate the vegetables and a slice of bread but left the rest for Ron. _At least she ate something. Better than nothing really. _Dad was a help, taking Hermione into the parlor while Ron and Rose, along with Gramma Molly, talked over his dinner. Rose yawned during the dessert – chocolate pudding – so Ron took her upstairs to tuck her into bed.

"Where's Mummy?"

"She's talking with Grampa. She'll be up in a couple of minutes."

"Can you read me a story like Mummy does?"

"Sure Rose. What would you like?"

"I want Princess Hera and the mountain troll."

"I need to go get the book downstairs. Can you wait a minute while I get it?"

"Sure Daddy."

Ron kissed his daughter on the forehead before rushing downstairs to find her book. Hermione wrote the book when she was on bed rest with Rose out of sheer boredom but it turned into a wizard hit. The kids loved the stories – the parents too – but only a few knew that the tales told to children were actually true.

Ron peeked into the parlor and saw Hermione crying again. He knew she wouldn't be up to reading to Rose tonight. She was too emotionally vulnerable to hide it. _Let her talk with Mum and Dad. I'll handle it tonight. _

Ron took the wobbly stairs two at a time, going into Ginny's room where Rose slept when she stayed over. Sure enough his precocious daughter was waiting for him with bated breath. "Where's Mummy?"

"Mummy's downstairs with Gramma and Grampa. They're talking."

"Why aren't you there with them?"

"Because you wanted a bedtime story too, like Hugo did."

"But I want Mummy."

Ron looked at the book in his hands. "Mummy's upset about Gramma Jean. You don't want me to read to you instead?"

Rose climbed out of the bed and made her way for the door. "Where are you going Rosie Posie?"

"I'm going to make Mummy better," she said in a determined voice.

Ron shook his head and followed his daughter down the stairs. Sure enough, they were still in the parlor talking quietly. He watched his daughter walk right up to Hermione and crawl into her lap. Hermione looked at her daughter, dressed for bed yet looking wide awake. "Mummy, it's gonna be ok."

Hermione burst out crying again.

"There, there Mummy. It's ok."

Ron walked into the den and sat on the couch. He took his favorite women into his arms and held them both. Hermione was sniffling through her tears while Rose was crying with her. Molly joined in, sitting next to Hermione and hugged her too. Ron saw his dad sitting in his favorite recliner. A grin crossed his face followed by an approving nod of his head.

"Come on Rose. Let's head on up to bed now. I need to get Mummy to bed shortly too. She's had a very long day."

"OK Daddy."

Rose gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek before crawling out of her lap and into Ron's arms. They left and went back to her room. A snuggle on the bed and Rose was fast asleep in minutes. He went back down to find his wife ready to leave for the night.

Hugs were given again before they departed. A quick trip through the Floo and they were home safe and sound. Ron locked it before checking the wards around the house. He finished that then came back inside.

Water was running in their en suite. He could wait until the morning to get one himself. The house was too quiet since the kids were with their grandparents but he thought that Hermione would need an evening alone. Whether she included him tonight was entirely up to her.

Ron peeled off his jacket and tore the vest over his head. He flung the smelly vest into the laundry basket by the bathroom door before sitting down to attack the boots on his size 12 feet. The boots came off before going into the closet too. Off came the socks that he had been in for 14 hours. Next removed was the webbed belt. He unbuttoned the top of his trousers when he heard the water shut off and Ron heard a muffled sob. He took two steps and he was at the door, gently pushing it aside to see his wife. She was beautiful mess. "Oh honey," he said before giving her a hug.

He caught a whiff of her shampoo, lilacs and aloe. He also felt the water running off her naked body onto his uniform pants and dribbling between his long toes. Bloodshot brown eyes looked up.

"Help me forget for a while."

"But you need sleep."

"I need you."

"I'm yours."

Hermione ran her damp fingers up and down his bare chest. She left water dripping onto the bathmat onto the floor. He saw the water running down her frame. He followed trails of water down her frame, first with his eyes then with his fingers. Some fell straight, like the line from her chin to between her breasts. He followed that drop with his eyes. He lost sight of it when it went into the crevice of her navel. Others followed winding curves, starting with a tendril of hair on her shoulder, down the curve of her breasts to the taut tip of the nipple – falling off onto the floor.

"You're beautiful," he whispered into her wet scalp.

Her thin arms wrapped around his waist. Small yet strong hands gripped his arse under his uniform trousers. His hips swayed under her fingers, gently grinding against her stomach.

She pulled her hands out of his pants and trousers to the top button, working to slide them off his narrow hips. When she reached the zipper he batted her hand away before falling to his knees on the carpeted mat. Strong hands gripped her hips, laying a trail of kisses in the valley between her breasts working his way down the curve of her abdomen to the swell of belly below her navel. He moved his hands up her flanks to her breasts, palming the soft flesh while tweaking the thicker nipples to hardness. He stretched his frame even higher so he could take one hard nipple in his mouth while moving his hands to her arse, kneading the flesh there.

She shuddered under his touch, feeling his chapped lips on her ever-heating skin. She loved that he was the only one who could boil her blood, twist her knickers and make her scream like no one else. She loved the calloused fingers he raked across her skin or the rough tongue he used on her willing flesh. She loved his continued enthusiasm for her body, ever changed by the war and the children she bore.

She was lost in his touch when he suddenly stood up. A lopsided grin was the only indication that they were moving elsewhere – namely to the bed in the next room. Ron pulled her, stepping backwards through the doorway into their bedroom and backing into the foot of their bed. She started to speak but was met with his long finger on her lips. A shake of his head kept her quiet. Only then did she notice that he had lost his trousers and pants in the process. She smiled bashfully. She desperately wanted to get lost in him, at least for another night. Many a night in their relationship, before and after marriage, were spend blissfully unaware of the world around them. Tonight she needed it – she needed the solace for her aching soul and bruised heart. She literally needed to get lost in the fuck he would give.

One long finger went under her chin, bringing her face to look upon him. Instead of kissing her though he sat down on the edge of their bed, using his hands to pull her closer while she toyed with the hair on his head. She scraped her nails through his scalp, earning a growl in reply. She did it again trying to provoke a stronger reaction. On her third raking through his ginger hair did she get a response: he pulled her onto his lap. She barely avoided hitting her head on his but his lips made her forget almost immediately that she could have been hurt. He plundered her mouth with a ferocity he rarely displayed since the kids were born. She loved getting lost under his ministrations, succumbing to the myriad of sensations he evoked from her. He was the only one who could make her feel intensely and so passionately.

He left her mouth and before she could whine or bemoan the loss he was trailing wet kisses down her throat to latch upon her breasts. She bent her back while leaning on his splayed legs so he could give her body proper attention. He sucked hard and it felt so good, so right. He pinched the other, rolling her nipple into a point. He moved back and forth between them, pinching and squeezing and biting.

"More, I need more," she groaned from above his head.

Ron pulled her hips forward while be scooted back on the bedclothes. She knelt above him, leaving half her legs hanging off the bed. "I'm yours," he growled. "Anything you need."

"Please," she begged in a whisper.

She felt his hands lower on her body, tickling her intimately. He knew her so well, knew how to get her yelling in seconds – or take his time when she needed to be feel every exquisite second of their lovemaking. Tonight she was losing control and needed to be lost in his touch.

Ron was a man of many talents when it came to his wife. He kept one hand between her legs while the other rolling her nipple. She bucked and twisted in his embrace while he continued to pleasure her. Sure as the sun, he had her groaning in delight. Ron watched her fall apart for the first time tonight yet she hadn't crumbled as she needed. Her voice echoed off the walls of their bedroom yet it still wasn't enough. He had to do more for her.

When she could see again, she scraped her delicate fingers down his torso, trailing her nails along the tender flesh of his ribs. Her touch was fire on his nerves. Her hands worked around his back to dig into the slightly hairy flesh at the tops of his hips. She rolled her hips against him, driving him mad with want. She dug her nails in deeper, hoping to provoke a stronger response. She felt the hands holding his hips and arse shaking.

Hermione leaned in and snogged him harder. She fell apart yet she couldn't chase away the first image of her mum today while she was lying in the bed hooked to the vent. She looked so small while the image burned into her memories. Now she truly understood the grief and horror Ron and Harry and the rest felt for her that terrible day way back when. That's why she fought to keep her liter cup from overflowing. She finally saw with her own eyes what they endured for her and it threatened to shatter her.

"Ron, please!"

Ron grabbed her arse while she dropped down onto him. "Oh fuck, you feel so good!" he groaned.

He watched her close her eyes, shedding fiercely fought tears from the corners. "I'm here," he whispered in her ears. "Trust me. Let go."

Hermione heard him but couldn't move. She was shaking too much from the emotions that were coursing through her.

She might have been on him but Ron was in control. He moved slowly, tender in his actions, watching her slowly succumb to the anxiety tearing her apart. He continued to love her, with his mouth, whispering coarse words just for her while sharing his body and soul. Ron shifted his feet and hips and saw Hermione's expression change. She opened her eyes wide and started to move with him. "Yes, please, right there," she crooned for him. He did as she asked, pacing himself while she bounced on him, taking pleasure from him. "Touch me," she whined while grinding her hips on his.

He grabbed her hips and arse and shoved her hard on his hips. He used his size twelve feet for leverage to make her shudder above him. She froze and ground her hips down as far as they would go, quivering in pleasure.

Years of marriage didn't dampen his appreciation that he could make Hermione fall apart.

Hermione half opened her eyes, still clouded with lust, barely articulating what she needed most. "Fuck me like you want."

He sat up taller at her rare choice of words. "Are you sure?"

"I need it."

Ron stared like a house elf at her. She rarely used coarse language, even with him in the privacy of their bedroom. "Bloody Hell yeah!"

Hermione slipped off of his lap and crawled onto the bed. Shagged out and crumpled did nothing to cool his enthusiasm. She laid back into the bedclothes with a come hither look to her eyes. Her happily complied while he covered her body with his own. His kisses were intoxicating and she didn't care that he pulled her hips flush with his own and pulled her knees above his elbows. All that mattered was getting lost in the moment with her husband. He settled in on her hips and once again made love to his wife.

"Come for me love, let go," he growled into her ear. "You know me – I'll go all night if you need me to. One spell and I can shag you until sunrise."

Hermione nipped at his throat in reply while she ran her fingers across the muscles of his bum. The tension in her body was competing with her thoughts that drifted across her mind while he was above her, making love to her, sharing his soul with her. She craned her head to look at his blue eyes – the ones that were so easy to get lost in. _Such a tranquil shade of blue,_ she thought, a_nd he's always there when you need him. _

Ron kept his promise. She recounted behind her closed eyes, moving her hips in time with him – opening her eyes after giving birth to their children and seeing him there; seeing his blue eyes after they first made love the day of Fred's funeral; his worried blue eyes when she opened them again in the hospital in Australia; the morning after they were married at the Burrow. The best days of her life – and the worst – and he's been there since the day he returned to her life.

Tears started flowing at that thought, intertwining with the building tension in her body. "Harder," she whispered into his skin.

Ron went faster and harder while coiling the tension in her body even tighter. She whispered encouragement – a litany of _harder Ron, faster, yes – _and that was all he needed to fingers tangled into her rumpled hair, pulling her head back to look up his furrowed chin. She looked at his face while pulling his arse tight to her hips. She didn't need his answers. She already knew those. She needed him to listen and comfort – because she needed him most of all. She needed him because she was scared of what could happen.

"Let go," Ron said before pulling Hermione as tight as he could to him. He took her breath away in the physical and emotional overload and she started crying in earnest. Ron shuddered, her name dripping from his lips before her tension snapped, destroying the emotional wall she held to resolutely.

Ron rolled to his right and pulled her flush to his sweaty and spent body. He heard nothing but jibberish from her but he replied as best as possible, listening to her laments. Through his galloping heartbeat he heard her fears, her concerns, questions, complaints. He fought the urge to fall asleep because she needed him. He needed to be strong for her while she fell apart under grief and anguish.

Ron held her while she cried herself to sleep, following her shortly thereafter.


	5. Speaking in Mermish

**Ch. 5 - Speaking in Mermish**

* * *

**A/N:** _I can't be JK Rowling. I'm far from fluent in Mermish and Gobbldygook. I'm only fluent in cheeky sarcasm. - DG_

* * *

Ron rolled over in the darkness of the bedroom. Panic ensued for a second before remembering what was going on. The other side of the bed was cold, like Hermione hadn't been in it for some time. He wasn't surprised since she was an early riser every morning.

He glanced at his watch on the bedside table: half-six. _She probably got up an hour ago, short on sleep, to get breakfast and get some work done. _He rolled out of bed and went to the dresser to get another pair of pants on. He could walk through the house starkers but having kids quelled that habit years prior.

He checked the loo and she wasn't there. He looked in her study and that was empty too. Next was the kitchen – empty too. _Maybe she's out on the patio with a cup of tea. _

He went out there too and there was no sign of his wife. _Where the bloody hell is she?_

Ron went back to the dining room and found the note.

_Ron:_

_I couldn't sleep so I went up to the hospital. I left breakfast for you on the table. I figure I could give Dad a few hours break this morning. You come up whenever you get the chance._

_Hermione_

Ron looked under the lid and found steaming hot bangers and fried eggs, cheese toasty, and two scones with butter and jelly. _She knows me so well. _ He promptly tucked into his breakfast. While eating his hearty breakfast he contemplated what he needed to do to help today. A trip to the Burrow was necessary. He missed his kids in the morning. He also needed to plan out what else he needed to do today.

* * *

Ron's rucksack was heavy.

After his breakfast and a hot shower he went to see Mum and the kids at the Burrow. He explained that he hadn't been by the hospital yet but he was going up there after he went to the Ministry to check on their requests for leave and tie up any loose ends. He hoped to have Hermione come by later today to see them too. They asked questions and he answered them as best as possible. He told Mum that they couldn't have the rest of the family visit because of the machines. Yes, she could firecall Ginny later after the kids were up and let them know what was going on.

He had second breakfast – more eggs and rashers and scones – another cup of tea – before departing for the Ministry. He stopped in at his desk and picked up a pile of papers to read, talked with Harry a few minutes to update him what was going on, then ran to the MLS department to make sure Hermione's emergency leave was authorized. Sure enough, Hermione's assistant fast-tracked her emergency leave papers and then handed him a stack to courier to Hermione. "She's on leave but she still has things that need to be read."

Ron took the stack of parchment in his arms. "You sure it's just this?"

"Oh, no. That's just the work for yesterday. I'll have more for her tomorrow too."

Ron struggled not to drop the pile of parchment. "But she's on leave?"

"The law never stops Major Weasley. You might want to stop in tomorrow morning too and get her case files then as well."

"These aren't her case files?"

"No sir. That's just the arrest reports she didn't finish yesterday."

"But she's on leave!"

"It doesn't matter. She has to wrap up certain things before it can start in earnest."

"I dunno if she's in any shape to read these. Yesterday was a terrible day."

Emily stopped her filing for a second. "I know. And I sympathize with her situation, honestly I do. But she's also as assistant director for the department and has responsibilities to the Wizengamot. She knew this when she took the oaths. I realize it stinks but that is part of her employment contract. If we had an extra ten solicitors and five barristers on staff we could handle her taking off like this – but since we operate on a skeleton staff right now we make do as best as possible."

"I know but it's still rubbish."

Emily shrugged. "Those are the breaks unfortunately."

Ron looked at the stack of parchments and files in his arms. "Is there anything else I need before I leave today?"

"If she thinks about it, I could use some clarification on the Laughton case for next month. She'll know what I'm referring to."

"Thanks Miss Austin."

Within minutes Ron was walking into the hospital and the wing where his mother in law was resting. He couldn't consider that her condition was fragile – or that she might stay that way – or worse. No, he rationalized that she was resting and recuperating from her ordeal, much like Hermione did when they arrived at Shell Cottage that terrible night. He couldn't think any less than completely positive and encouraging. Hermione needed him strong to help her get through this ordeal.

He took the twists and turns and eventually arrived at the door to the room. He heard voices this morning and none of it was shouting. He opened the door and was greeted with two sets of brown eyes looking back at him. Both sets were exhausted.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Brought some stuff for us today."

"Terrific. Just what I needed today," Hermione said full of cheek.

Ron unloaded the rucksack onto counter next to the sink. "How is she?"

"Jean's still sleeping away. The nurse was in at six am to check everything and put another bag of saline up for her. I told her she needed something stronger than saltwater to keep her going."

Ron untied the strings on his rucksack. "Saltwater? That makes no sense."

Hermione rolled her sleep deprived eyes. "In Muggle hospitals they use saline to keep the body hydrated. Mum can't drink but if they didn't give it to her then she'd have kidney problems. So that's why she gets saline."

Ron took a parcel of scones out of his rucksack – courtesy of Mum this morning – and handed it over to Hermione. "You think she'll get hungry? I know I would."

"You get hungry if you eat my breakfast." Hermione bit into the warm scone. She rolled her eyes in appreciation. "If she's not awake today they'll give her something."

Ron handed over scones to Robert as well. "These are from Mum. She didn't want you eating hospital food that much. She said it's as bad as takeaway that Harry and Ginny enjoy."

Hermione finished the first scone and took a second. "The food here's not that bad."

"Oh really? And when have you had a meal here?"

"I had some porridge this morning when I got here."

"And what time was that?"

Hermione looked bashful. "5am," she replied quietly.

"Hermione! I wish you'd have woken me this morning. I would have come up here with you too."

"What? I couldn't sleep last night and I got sick of sitting in the office trying to read and thought I could come up here and sit with Dad some while keeping an eye on Mum." Hermione turned and put a tender kiss on his cheek. His face flushed red for a moment out of embarrassment in front of his father-in-law. "One of us should get some sleep. The bed is more comfortable for you than this thing. Isn't that right, Dad?"

"Bloody thing isn't worth the pounds someone paid for it. I tried to sleep but the support bar was right in the middle of my bleeding back."

"You must be tired Mr. Granger. You sound like I do this morning."

"It's a throwback from my Navy days. When I get tired I get salty."

Ron grinned. "Is that what it is? I must be chronically tired then."

Hermione rolled her eyes in consternation. "Ronald can't control his language especially around the kids. One of Rose's first words was _bollocks_. I was humiliated."

"That's not so bad."

She gave her father a dirty look. "It is when it's in front of Molly Weasley."

Robert threw his head back in laughter.

"Dad, hush. It's not funny."

Robert grinned. "Honestly Hermione. I hope Jean hears me and wakes from it. It'd be the best thing today. We've not laughed like this in a long time."

_Knock Knock_

Dr. Echlin and his fellowship group walked in. "Ah. Good Morning Dr. Granger."

"Lord Echlin," Robert said in greeting while shaking his hand.

"How was the patient last night?"

"She slept better than I did. It seemed like the bloody nurses were in every hour during the night. I couldn't sleep a wink and I'm out of practice when it comes to combat sleep. Then again, I'll forgo sleep as long as she's getting the care she needs."

"Fair point Dr. Granger. Anyway, I'm here to work on weaning your wife off of the machines. I hope she's recovered a little where this doesn't stress her heart or lungs."

The three of them watched the Cardiologist adjust the machines while one of the students took notes. They talked in almost a foreign language, about oxygen saturation rates, pericardial output and ejection fractions. Ron couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying. Hermione on the other hand had her digital pad with her and was taking notes too.

"Do you know what they're saying?"

"Hush; I'm listening."

Ron sat listening further. It was Gobbldygook to his ears.

Lord Echlin turned to the family on the other side of the bed. "She's showing progress. We dialed back her dependence on the vent and she's showing no stress from the reduction. We'll lower the dose on the morphine that is keeping her asleep. Maybe tonight we'll take her off of it so they can clear her system. Once it does it'll be up to her to wake."

"Any idea when that would be Dr. Echlin?"

"The narcotics are through her IV and they are short-acting. So if she gets a dose at 4pm it could be as early as midnight and as late as noon tomorrow, depending on her sensitivity. But for now she's going to keep sleeping and that's not a bad thing.

"We'll also keep her on the other medications – the blood thinners and the anti-inflammatories – so the stress is low on her heart. We don't want a rogue blood clot doing more damage."

"Dr. Echlin?"

"Yes Mrs. Weasley?"

"Will Mum be herself? She won't have any mental issues, will she?"

Lord Echlin checked the chart information in his hands. "If you're talking oxygen deprived brain damage, she won't have any that I'm aware of. From what your father said, he started CPR on her immediately and the paramedics and ambulance techs took over when they arrived. Unless there is a problem I'm not aware of, she should have all of her faculties. But if it will satisfy you, once she's awake we'll run tests on her head to make sure there isn't any neurological impairment."

Ron watched his wife take a much-needed breath.

"Is there anything else before we leave today?"

Robert looked at his daughter and son in law. Both remained silent at is inquiry. "We're good for now. You've explained what we needed to know." He stood quietly holding his wife's hand while the cadre of doctors left the room.

The door closed and Ron took his cue. "What the bloody hell was he talking about? All of that sounded like Trelawney to me."

Hermione patted her husband on the leg. "What the doctor was saying was that Mom's stable and that they lowered the power on the machine so she could do more work. She's getting her medication through those tubes that are connected to her arms. They have her on potions for her pain and to thin her blood out to help her get better. That's all they said."

"Then why the strange words then? It made absolutely no sense. They could have just said that instead of all the ruddy words they used."

"Ron, how many times have you talked about magical things to a Muggle?"

"I dunno, not that often really. Why?"

"Wouldn't it sound like gibberish if you were talking lacewing flies or boomslang skin to a Muggle? Wouldn't it sound strange to tell them about apparition points or werewolf bites?"

His ears went slightly red. "I guess so."

"It's the same for Muggle medicine. It's an entirely different vocabulary and it also helps them understand what they are talking about. That's why I was listening closely. If I have questions I can do research and understand what they are saying."

"You understood all that?"

Hermione nodded and so did Robert. "Once you understand the language it all makes perfect sense," Robert interjected. "I'm more than a dentist and I understood them just fine. I was lost on the medications last night until I asked the nurse on duty when she had a few minutes."

"It still sounds haughty rubbish to me."

"So did magic when I first heard it."

"But you knew more within a week of coming to Hogwarts than I have since then."

"Hermioine," Robert broke into their conversation. "Not that I don't want to know more but I'm dead on my feet. I'm going home to get a shower and a nap."

"Sure. Ron and I'll stay here 'til you get back. I'm also staying the night with Mum. You need your rest too."

"Hermione, I'll be fine."

"Nonsense. I'm staying tonight and that's the end of it."

Ron watched the battle of wills between father and daughter before Robert acquiesced first. "Fine then. But come walk me out to my auto. We'll set up a schedule for now."

A nurse slipped into the room. "'ello."

The three of them watched her work, asking a few questions while she checked her paperwork and wrote down information. Ron knew he was pants at what they were talking about, barely understanding the language they were speaking in. Robert stood by the machines and asked questions about the information displayed while Hermione stayed at arm's reach, holding her mum's hand and only inquiring once her father was finished interrogating the nurse.

* * *

The nurse soon left and they did too. Ron didn't mind the break from people. The noise from the monitors was almost soothing in the quiet of the room. His job was stressful enough that these breaks in action were welcome. He saw enough in his job to understand how terrible and malevolent and chaotic it was. He knew the power of life and death – and much of it made no bloody sense. Hermione helped him understand on those days when the actions of others drove him barmy. She made him realize that the jobs he did were important and it was worth doing, teaching the kids who wanted to be like him to do the job right. Deep down he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to keep the world a better place so those that he loved most: his children, his wife, his family, those who would only know his name from a history book or from a casual glimpse out on the street or in a hallway.

Then again watching his mother in law recovering from something that was fatal most of the time – and realizing how remarkable it was that it happened when it did and her husband knew what to do at the time – was astounding. _Like Mother, Like Daughter. _Hermione told him how often such things end terribly. Then again, Ron understood all too well how life turned on a dime.

Ron pulled his rucksack from the floor and pulled out his binder of paperwork. Hermione had the brilliant idea years before, using bank ledger binders to organize their home files. The size of them made it considerable easier to put parchment in and keep them from getting out of order. Her one idea revolutionized the Magical Creatures Department – even if it took her a year to get all of the files transcribed and organized. Then again, she had been home on medical bed rest with Rose at that time so it wasn't like she was doing anything else.

He was so engrossed in his documents – reading about the attacks up in Northumberland – he didn't notice that his wife had returned to the room or that she was standing sentinel at her mum's bedside. Only after many long minutes of silence vigil in the room did he look up and see her there.

"You should have been an Auror. Your stealth skills make most look like pikers."

Hermione turned and gave him a tired smile. The shadows under her eyes were pronounced this morning. "You were busy reading your investigation reports and I didn't want to break your concentration.

"Besides, you know I couldn't have handled the first week of training. I'd have flunked out just against the boggart, or the flying tests. You were better suited for Auror training than I ever would have been."

"Yeah, but you'd give Crookshanks a run for his money when it comes to being bloody quiet."

"I made noise. You were too engrossed to hear me come in. Then again you've learned how to tune me out since we got together. It's only gotten better since we got married."

"Oy!" Ron looked up and saw her grinning. "Now you're just taking the piss."

Hermione smiled wistfully. "I need something to laugh about right now. Nothing else seems funny at the moment."

"It'll get better. You watch and see. It'll happen."

Hermione ignored his last comment to return her attention to her Mum. She never took another step closer but she stood watch for a while. He stole glances while she was by her mum's side. She'd pull the sleeves of her vest down. She'd run her short kept nails through her hair. Hermione'd reach her hand up and scratch the ancient scar on her neck – or grasp the place on her arm where the hideous word still haunted her. She'd even scratch along the keloids of the burn on her chest.

Ron read her actions like a book. Hermione was fidgeting because she was worried and there was nothing they could do about it for the time being.

"I know you're watching me."

"Sure am. I'm staring at your arse thinking about last night."

Hermione put her mum's hand down on the blanket and paced the miniscule room. Four paces total from one wall to the other. Hermione could rattle the room in four paces. Ron put his ledger down and watched her pace. "If you need to pace, why don't you do it out in the hallway? You're making me anxious just watching you prowl."

Hermione turned on her heel immediately. "What else am I supposed to do then? I'm sick of worrying. What would you have me do, huh? Run to the Ministry and steal a time turner and see how five hours from now will be? You think that's wise?"

"Don't bite my head off. I know you're on pins and needles worrying about her."

Hermione stopped. "You're right. I shouldn't take my frustrations out on you. You've been nothing short of amazing and here I am acting a harpy and biting your head off. You don't deserve that, especially today."

"Bollocks but fine anyway."

Hermione rolled her eyes and snorted. Ron's stomach grumbled. Hermione laughed. "I thought you had breakfast. Didn't you eat what I made for you this morning?"

"I sure did and got seconds when I went to go talk with Mum this morning. You know I get hungry around eleven or so."

"It's a wonder you get anything done during the day since you're a slave to your stomach."

"You're just jealous that I can eat my weight daily and not gain a pound."

"Oh shut it you. That hormone called testosterone makes a huge difference. You also didn't have two kids either. "

Ron pulled up his jumper and vest to show off the smattering of ginger colored hair on his stomach. "Yep, you enjoy this while you can. I doubt I can keep it forever. I'll probably get a belly once we have grandkids. I figure that'll be when we're, what, 70 or so?"

Hermione waggled her eyebrows at him. "I believe I did last night as I recall. You didn't act like you were 70."

Ron chuckled. "I thought I did a whizbang job and you were still awake and up here at 5am. I think I'm falling down on the job."

Hermione walked over and sat down next to her husband. "You did. I needed last night. I just couldn't sleep past 4am. I woke with a start and my mind wouldn't slow down. I didn't want to wake you so early either."

Ron took her hand and kissed her palm, placing it on his chest. "I wish you had. Hell, you could have awoken me for round two this morning and I'd have said hell yeah." A soft kiss on her lips and he gave her a lopsided smile. "You're not alone in this. I'm here and so is everyone else. We'll all help however we can. You know that."

Hermione leaned on his broad shoulder to find some comfort. "Maybe later in the week if she's stable and we can keep your Dad from asking the nurse every question he can think of. You know he'd love to be in here looking at all of the gadgets. Maybe Molly'd sit with her a spell if we can manage the kid's arrangements."

Ron looked at the machines once again. "It is rather fascinating in a Muggle way. I still have no clue what the healers or medi-witches are talking about."

"It's doctors and nurses."

"They do the same things."

Hermione shrugged.

"I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"Not always."

"Most of the time."

"Why don't you go downstairs and get us some lunch?"

"But I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat. A bowl of porridge at half five isn't enough. Robert's right – you need to keep your strength up if you're going to do this for long term."

"Fine. I'll go get you something. But I'm not hungry."

Hermione found her purse in the corner where the rest of her binders and other personal items were stashed. "What do you want to eat for lunch?"

"You know me: anything but corned beef for lunch."

"I don't know how you won't eat it. Molly makes an outstanding pot of it."

"I ate too much of it growing up. No thanks. Give me chicken or ham any day."

"Suit yourself."

Ron watched Hermione walk out of the room to scrounge up lunch for him.

"See Jean? That's how you handle Hermione. Rowing with her won't work unless she needs to be pushed to a decision. Just reason with her and you can get her to do anything you want her to."

_Bloody Hell, I'm talking to my mother in law and she's potioned out. I must be barmy, talking to her like that._

Ron shook his head and picked up the binder with his investigation notes inside.


	6. I brought dinner

**Ch. 6 - I brought dinner**

* * *

_**A/N:** I just checked by driver's license and it didn't say JK Rowling. Thought I'd throw that out there. - DG_

* * *

_Knock Knock Knock._

Ron looked up from his binder and saw the nurse coming into the room. "'Ello. I'm nurse Aimee. I'm here to give Mrs. Granger her medicine."

Ron looked at his watch and saw it was past noon. "Is she still asleep?"

"She is. After I give her this medicine she won't need anything else for a few hours. You should be able to step out to the loo if you want."

"Thanks. I'm waiting for my wife to return."

"Is this not your wife?"

Ron chortled. "Hardly. This is my mother in law. My wife is her daughter."

"My apologies. She looks so young."

"Or I look that old?"

Nurse Aimee laughed. "Hardly. I didn't look too close at either one of you."

"How is she doing?"

The nurse checked the printouts on her clipboard and the machines hooked up to Jean. "She's stable. Her heart rate is good and her vitals are strong. She could probably wake tomorrow or the next day depending on her medication schedule."

"What should we expect when she wakes?"

"You don't know?"

"I have no bloody clue what to expect. My parents are live down in Devon and don't come into London often. I don't even recall the last time Mum or Dad were sick." Ron bit back the thought of when they were hurt or injured. "They're healthier than I am for the most part."

Nurse Aimee laid her chipboard down on Jean's blankets. "When she wakes she's going to be very weak and easily tired. She'll eventually recover but it's going to take weeks if not months for her to really get back on her feet. If she wants to do it, she will, but it will be a hard road for her."

Ron understood that part.

"Mrs. Granger will need assistance for most things the first few weeks out of the hospital. The medicines after she's discharged will make her tired, or sick, or irritable. She'll get better but it's going to take time to get there. I hope your wife understands that and can be patient with her."

"My wife is pretty patient with our kids but she and her mum fight like two kneazles in a sack. Hermione'll be able to do it but it won't be easy."

Nurse Aimee looked up from her clipboard and stood silent for a second. "Now I know why I thought you looked familiar. I'd have never guessed."

Ron sat quietly. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lord Echlin's staff nurse. He mentioned meeting you yesterday. I'm glad to have met you as well."

"Have we met?"

"No but my older sisters know you. You probably remember them – Padma Patil and Healer Pavarti Patil-Raja. My name is Aimee Patil."

Ron sat stunned. "But you work in a Muggle Hospital."

Aimee shrugged. "I'm a squib. Pavarti became interested in becoming a Healer when the doctors said I was a non-magical baby. Needless to say it was a nasty shock for my parents. Padma and Pavarti couldn't comprehend why it happened and decided they were going to do something about it. Padma did research in the historical records at the Ministry while Pavarti did the medicine. Well, I'm a nurse working for Lord Echlin who consults with her on Wizard/Muggle medicine. That's why so many staff members know who you are, along with your wife – many of us know about you from our siblings or their kids at the school."

The door opened and Hermione came in with a takeaway sack from the cafeteria. "Is this Mrs. Weasley?"

"Hermione, meet Nurse Aimee Patil. I think you know her two older sisters better than most."

Hermione handed over the takeaway sack to Ron and stepped further back from the bed. "Who are your older sisters?"

"Padma and Healer Pavarti Patil."

Hermione gave her a warm smile in return. "I do know your sisters well. How are they?"

"They're fine. Padma is a medical historian for the Ministry and Pavarti is a healer at St. Mungo's that you'll meet with you and your mum once she gets better."

"So why are you working here? Shouldn't you be at St. Mungo's?"

"Hardly. I'm a squib." Nurse Aimee smiled. "I notice you're keeping your distance from the machines. That's probably a wise idea considering the circumstances."

"I set wards around them which is why they are working so well – and why I'm not close physically to them."

"That's probably a good idea. We don't get many witches or wizards here to really notice." Nurse Aimee picked up her clipboard and made her way to the door. "I'll see my sisters this weekend. Shall I let them know you asked after them?"

"Please do. It was nice meeting you Aimee."

She smiled. "The pleasure was mine, Mrs. Weasley." She quietly slipped out of the room.

Hermione turned back and saw that Ron was almost finished with the double portions of chicken kiev and vegetables.

"Ron," she implored.

"Sorry Hermione but I was hungry and it smelled so good and you were still talking with Nurse Aimee."

"Did you leave anything for me?"

"But you said you weren't hungry!"

Hermione sighed in resignation. "Don't worry about it. I'll get something later on."

"Hermione! You need to eat."

"Well, I would have if you left me some of the double order of lunch I picked up."

"That was a double order? Merlin! That looked like a regular lunch you pack for me."

Ron handed over the takeaway parcel in his hands. Hermione refuse to take it from his hands. "You finish it off. I'm not hungry now."

"Hermione, don't."

"What? You ate lunch and the last thing I told you was that I wasn't hungry. I hadn't told you otherwise and you didn't know that the meals down in the cafeteria aren't Ron Weasley portions. How could you know? So go on and finish lunch. I'll be fine. I've worked through lunch plenty of times. Today's no different."

Ron looked again at the Styrofoam container with the remnants of lunch and closed it up. He walked to the corner of the room and tossed it into the small rubbish bin. He stepped out of the room.

Hermione turned back to her mum. Jean hadn't moved. "Next time I'll put it in two containers instead of one. I might get a bite of lunch then. Then again, if he hadn't had second breakfast with Molly he might have eaten four helpings of lunch then complained why I didn't have seconds for him.

"You'd think after being married so long I'd realize that not everyone feeds their husband like I do. Not every husband can eat a full dinner then ask for a double helping of dessert, or two helpings of chicken kiev and say that's a barely adequate lunch.

"I wish I had learned from you instead of Fleur that first summer about feeding a boyfriend or a Weasley man. She helped so much that first summer and since then I've tried to live it. Her, Angelina, and even Audrey too were the big sisters I never had growing up. They were the ones for the most part – especially Fleur – who taught me that his heart is through his stomach or his bits." Hermione snorted in realization. "You and Ron are so alike: you only like certain foods and detest others that Dad and I like. Then again Dad's like that too, with his love of international cuisine. I bet you fought him tooth and nail the first time he took you out for curry. I'm also quite sure you were annoyed when he fell in love with Thai noodles the first time he tried them. You never said a word but I could tell it bothered you that I enjoyed Thai noodles too. I should have him tell Ron about how you reacted when he took you on a date to the little Indian place when you were in dental school."

"If it was anything like my first time I bet she turned her nose up at it in disgust. I still don't see how you can eat food like that."

Hermione looked up from the bed at her husband in the doorway. "How much of that did you hear?"

"I heard enough of it. I'm sorry I ate so much. You should have said something when you came in."

"It's fine. Really. I'll manage today."

"Let me go get you something, please."

"I'm fine. You were hungry and had lunch. It's not an issue."

"Why don't you run by and see Mum and the kids this afternoon? I know she'll make you lunch when you get there. Besides, I'm sure Hugo is missing you terribly."

"I can handle not having lunch. I've done it plenty of times."

"And within three days you're sick from not taking care of yourself. I know. You bite my head off for no reason before owling in sick the next day."

"Why are you insisting such? It's not like you've never nicked my lunch before."

"This is different. This is you taking care of Mum and needing the strength to keep at it for long-term. That's on top of your two kids and a husband you are a wife and mom to. You also have an important job – one that you love. You can't help anyone – especially her – if you're falling down sick."

Hermione slumped in resignation. "You'd pick a fight to get me out of here a few hours, wouldn't you?"

Ron took three strides to stand next to her. "Look, I feel like shite for eating your lunch. I feel like rubbish 'cause you got maybe 3 hours of sleep last night. It doesn't help that I feel pretty worthless 'cause there's not a bleeding thing I can do to make things right or make things better. All I can do is give you someone you can lean on and help however you need me."

Hermione hugged Ron with as much love she could muster. "You help so much. I wouldn't be here without you." Hermione eventually stepped back from their embrace and craned her neck. "Will you be fine here for a few hours while I'm gone?"

"Sure. Mum's good and comfortable so there's nothing I need to do for her. I'm set for now. I've got case files I need to read and if I need anything else it's right down the hallway. As long as you have your cellyphone where I can call you if I need to then we're sorted."

"Alright. I'll stop home for a spell to see the kids and let Molly dote on me. Will that make you feel better?"

"Yeah, it will. You might change the world with your bare hands but you can't do it all. So go, have fun with the kids and I'll keep an eye on things here."

Hermione stood up on her toes to snog her husband.

"You better go before I get the wrong idea today," Ron whispered into her ear. "We don't want to let a nurse get an eyeful or wake your mum up that way, do we?" He squeezed her bum possessively. "Your mum already saw my arse once and I don't fancy that again."

"Ron!" Hermione stepped back, blushing like a schoolgirl.

He laughed at her embarrassment. "I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that in here and certainly not now."

Hermione smoothed down her jumper trying to get her blushing under control. "Are you sure you'll be fine up here?"

"Sorted. Go on and go kiss the kids for me. I'll go tonight when I leave. Deal?"

Hermione acquiesced before finding her purse. "I'll be back around four or so."

"You take as much time as you need. I'm good here."

Ron watched Hermione leave for her much-needed break.

* * *

Ron checked his watch yet again. It was almost half five and his wife hadn't returned from the Burrow. He didn't really expect her back so soon but he also missed her. The room was now noisy in the wrong ways – not that he noticed for the most part. The machines were white noise now, beeping on occasion when he was thinking about the case notes lying in the binder next to his legs.

The nurse had come and gone for the 4pm check on Jean so all he waited on now was his wife's return. He didn't expect at straight up four but a call would have been nice. Or it would be nice if Hermione walked in with a basket of sweets from Mum and the kids. Then again a roast beef sandwich would be tasty right about now.

He took a break earlier in the day, walking the hall to get a cup of tea. Getting off the couch was a nice respite. He knew Hermione added some cushioning charms to it to be more comfortable this morning. His arse was thankful for it. He sat on it for hours reading the investigation notes, writing notes for his seminar classes and spent time devising more rigorous training schedules for the cadets at the academy. He needed to stay productive even while he was doing nothing more than keeping watch on his mother in law. If his time spent in this austere room helped Hermione keep going he'd do it. She did so much for him that he had no qualms helping her with his time too.

The door opened and there was Robert, holding a huge brown takeaway sack. "I hope you're hungry. Hermione said you might be starving by now so I stopped by my favorite place in Bicester and got dinner."

"We? Is Hermione with you?"

"She'll be in shortly. She stopped off at the loo down the hall. Anyway I picked up a few things at Yin Hong for us to eat." Robert handed over the large sack to Ron on the couch. "I picked up sweet and sour chicken balls, egg rolls, thai chicken curry noodles and ginger broccoli."

Ron opened the sack and took a huge sniff. He had a huge grin on his face when he looked back at his father in law. Robert shared a grin. "You're sharing that, by the way. I got enough for all of us."

Ron stage pouted in response before turning serious. "Yeah, I already mucked up lunch for Hermione. I didn't know that the servings were so small so I ate most of it before she told me that was for both of us."

"Don't let it get to you. Most places don't serve real man portions. It's all that dainty eat-like-a-bird healthy meals. Rubbish to all of it."

"No, I eat like a bird. Ron would waste away if he ate like I do. So I feed him like he needs me to – triple portions of everything."

"Hermione!" Ron saw it immediately: she was exhausted and worn out. "The kids wore you out, didn't they?"

"Hugo wanted to ride the broom out in the paddock so I had to watch that and then Rose was asking so many questions about Gramma Jean that I nearly missed lunch. Molly eventually bribed Rose with biscuits so I could eat a plate of leftovers. It was the only way I could get a minute to take a bite."

Ron opened the parcel of the chicken balls. "So how'd you know what I like?"

"Hermione came by the house before I left and we drove up to Bicester to run the errands before coming back here. She told me what to order for you and that way she could get something too."

Ron took the sack to the countertop in the room and started opening the other takeaway containers and parcels. "You want any of the chicken balls Hermione?"

"No, you eat them. I just want ginger broccoli and rice this evening."

Ron opened another parcel and saw noodles. He turned to Robert who was washing his hands in the sink. "So the noodle dish is yours?"

"It is red curry noodles with chicken. It's rather spicy so you might not like it."

Ron grimaced at the dish. "I'll stick with the chicken balls and egg rolls you got for me."

Ron plated a helping of the noodles for Robert before spooning out the vegetarian dish for Hermione. He handed over their dinner before tucking into his dish – sweet and sour chicken balls along with egg rolls. He bit into the first egg roll and smacked his lips. "Oh these are good."

Hermione looked at the piece of broccoli on her plate. "We got a half dozen. Save some for Dad."

"You don't want one?"

"Not tonight. I'm not that hungry. I didn't eat until half two."

Ron sat down with his plate of dinner and tucked in. Robert tucked into his dish as well. "This might be the only time that I get to eat my favorite Thai dish without Jean saying something biting about it."

Hermione frowned. "She's not that bad."

"I'm kidding for the most part. She quit complaining about my love of Thai food after we were married the first 20 years."

"It took a while for Ron to like anything that his Mum didn't make by hand."

"It's not true," he said through his second egg roll.

"I'll clarify then. If Molly or an elf didn't make it you looked at it like it was rubbish."

"Oi! I never said a word about your cooking."

"No, you only laughed at me when your Mum got me a cookbook our first Christmas together."

"And yet you still remind me of it almost fifteen years later." Ron looked at his father in law in the chair that was brought in. "Does Jean do that to you, remind you of stuff when you first got married?"

"She does on occasion but she's not bad about it like when we were first married. She said it wasn't worth harping about. But Jean couldn't cook either. I think we spent much of our first year when I was stationed at Faslane going to pubs or this one diner outside the main gate. Fortunately I got out when she finished dental school in Glasgow. We celebrated by moving south and settling in at a practice in Oxfordshire which is where we've been since. Once she wasn't studying to be a dentist she learned how to cook. Now I miss her cooking if we eat out twice a week."

"So when Hermione got her letter and you found out Hogwarts was in Scotland – "

"We were thrilled. Then again we never knew exactly where it's located in Scotland but it was close enough for us to appreciate."

Ron saw his plate was empty and relished seconds. Robert was halfway through his meal and Hermione had barely touched her broccoli. "Not hungry dear?"

"Not really."

"Why don't I put it under a cooling charm so you can eat it later?"

"Sure. I might eat some later on."

Ron took her plate and spooned it back into her takeaway parcel. Once he put hers under the cooling charm he spooned out seconds, more rice and another egg roll.

* * *

The room was quiet again. Ron was sitting on the couch reading his paperwork for the third time. Robert had stepped out to talk with the nurse on duty at her station and Hermione was reading her case notes Ron brought for her that morning. Hermione scratched her quill across the pieces of parchment, breaking the quiet of the room.

"You don't have to stay up here longer if you don't want to. I know you're bored."

"I'm not bored. I've got notes to make for class."

"You've been on the same page of notes for the last half hour. You're bored."

"Alright I am. But I would rather sit here bored with you than anywhere else right now."

Hermione put her work down and took Ron's hand in hers. "Why don't you take Dad home and help Molly tuck the kids into bed tonight. Mum's still asleep and I don't think she'll be awake before the morning at least."

"But I barely saw you today."

Hermione leaned over and kissed Ron gently. It heated quickly.

Ron nuzzled her ear a short time later, quietly whispering, "Dad's back in the room."

Hermione pulled back from his kiss. She turned her head and saw her father brushing her mum's hair. He looked at the couple on the couch and smirked. "Don't mind me. I've seen worse from the two of you."

"I'm sure you have but we don't have to act like newlyweds, do we?"

"That's rubbish and you know it. I'm glad that you two are content."

"Thanks," Ron replied.

Hermione looked at both of them. "Why don't you go on and pack up and head home for the night? I'll stay with Mum tonight."

"Are you sure? It's only a little after 8 anyway. We can stay a few more minutes," Robert said quietly.

"The nurse'll be by shortly to check on us. Besides, Ron was here all day with Mum and you're exhausted. I can manage things from here."

"Do you need anything before we leave? Can I get you something from the canteen?"

"No, I'm fine. I have bottled water in my bag and I've got plenty of reading material and things I can do tonight. Don't fret about it. If I need anything I can go down the hallway to the waiting room. They have a hot water kettle for tea so I'm set."

Hermione watched the men pack up their things and make their way to the door. "I'll step out and meet you down at the doors."

Robert slipped out the door and left Ron and Hermione inside the room.

"Are you sure you'll be ok up here tonight? You won't get much sleep and you're already tired."

"I'll be fine. I've done it enough with Hugo and his tender tummy. I can manage it with Mum."

Ron stepped to his wife and engulfed her in his long arms. "I'm going to miss you tonight."

"I know but I'll be home tomorrow night. Maybe we can have the kids at home with us too."

"Fine with me but you'll to be asleep way before they will. You're going to be dead on your feet in the morning."

"We'll manage it. I can always get a pepper up potion from you in the morning if I need it. We did it with Molly so we can do it with Mum."

"I know but I hate not being able to help you more."

Hermione stepped back so she could look up at her husband. Worry creased his features.

"You will. You're keeping the family notified and looking after the kids for me. That's plenty of help."

"What more do you need? You know I hate feeling useless."

"You're not useless. I trust you to look after things and you do a great job taking care of the family. You're the reason I can be up here and helping Dad with Mum. So I'm good, really."

"You're not just saying that to portray strength so I don't worry, are you?"

"I've not hidden from you in years – you'll always see the true me."

Ron looked at his wife, standing quiet for many seconds, looking for the truth in her features. "Sorted." Ron bent over and kissed his wife one last time for the night. Hands wandered and caresses were given.

"Go on otherwise I won't let you go tonight." Hermione said into the fabric of his jumper.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Do you want to sleep on that couch?"

"Not unless I have to, even with the cushioning charm you put on it. I am spoiled on our new bed."

Hermione let go and stepped back. "Kiss the kids for me. Tell them I'll see them in the morning or afternoon."

"I will. I'll be back to pick up your Dad at 7 sharp. We should be back up here no later than 8."

Hermione smirked. "I'll not hold you to it since I won't be there to wake you up."

"Sorted."

Ron kissed her one last time and was out the door before Hermione could hold onto him longer.


	7. Midnight Gossip Sessions

**Ch. 7 - Midnight Gossip Sessions**

* * *

**A/N:** I just checked my bank balance. I'm obviously not JK Rowling. - DG

* * *

Hermione woke with a start. She looked around the room and it looked like nothing had changed. The lights were dim in the room, giving off just enough so the nurses who came in could see their clipboards and medications. A soft whirring was in the background, making a white noise through the pump of the ventilator. Hermione found that her digital pad had turned off after she dozed off. She replaced it in her satchel on the floor so she wouldn't be clumsy and damage it.

Hermione sat on the couch for a moment, running her hands through her hair, rubbing her eyes in the barely illuminated room. She felt like she had cotton in her mouth and sand in her eyes. Those same eyes strained to see her mum, lying still in the bed. She checked the watch on her wrist. It was half ten. _I must have dozed off reading earlier._ She stood up and stretched her back out from sitting on the couch the wrong way. _No wonder why Dad slept poorly on it last night. He's right – the couch is just this side of rubbish. It needs another cushion on the back of it, not just on the bottom of it. _

Hermione slipped out of the room and walked down the hallway to the ward waiting room. She needed to stretch her legs and grab a cup of tea.

_36 hours and no change yet. I need to be patient – everything went barmy only yesterday. She's only been on the vent a little over a day. Her last morphine dose was 4pm so it could be tomorrow afternoon at the latest. It could be tomorrow morning at the earliest. I just need to stay awake tonight in case she wakes and needs me. What can I do to stay awake and keep busy?_

Hermione poured hot water from the spigot on the coffee dispenser, steeping a packet of Lady Grey. It would suffice for industrial tea rather than the loose leaf she used at home. She could have had worse. It could be the burnt sludge in the coffee pot. The smell still wafted through the room even if the pot seemed hours cold.

Hermione waved to the nurses at their station before she walked quietly back to room twelve. She slipped in the room with the intention of reading more of her case files. She passed by the mirror above the vanity and saw her face reflected back. There were dark circles under her eyes and ink smudges across her face. _Ron would love to see me like this. Probably take the mickey for it too._ She looked through the mirror to her mum in the bed and saw some color on her cheeks.

Hermione turned and took her vigil on the opposite side, right at the hip, just out of range of the wards she put up. Her cup of tea was left on the vanity, immediately forgotten. "Did someone put some makeup on you while I dozed off? Did a nurse make you up to look like Sleeping Beauty?" Hermione itched to remove the wrong shade of red from her mum's cheeks. "You'd fuss at me if you saw what they put on your face. You'd wonder who thought that shade was proper on your complexion. But since I can't get any closer to you to take it off you're stuck with it tonight. Maybe Dad can wash your face in the morning if you're awake. If you wake."

Hermione shoved her emotions back into her emotional closet, fighting the growing anxiety once again. _ Stop that! You can't think that way. All you're doing is making yourself sick so quit it right now. Focus on the positive, not the things you can't fix. When she wakes, then you can deal with the problems._

She looked at the bed again and saw that they had changed the blankets on the bed. The red blanket was gone, replaced with a white one over her arms. "At least the red one is gone. You always preferred white for bedclothes and linens. You said it was easier to keep clean – or know when to throw away. The one time I asked for bright blue bedclothes you told me for half an hour how you couldn't make sure they were even clean after being washed since they weren't white."

Hermione chuckled to herself. "You'd have had a fit seeing the linens in the tower. I think all my years I didn't have the first white article of bedclothes. Even my clothes were dark, except for my knickers and my uniform shirt. After a while I guess I got used to it." Hermione laughed again. "I just realized that I've never had white as bedclothes. Ever since I moved out we've had gold, and red, various shades of orange – but never white."

Hermione stepped back to the vanity and picked up the tube of lotion from the parcel there and brought it to the bed. She laid it gently on the white blanket while she took her mum's hand in her own. "Then again you had a snit when I asked to go shopping and I picked out garments that weren't sensible. I can still remember your face when I picked up that shocking red bra set. I was being silly. I knew you'd react and you did. I was all of fourteen at the time but the look you gave me was enough for me to put it back on the table straightaway. Imagine if I had been thinking of Ron that way at that point in my life."

Hermione untucked the blanket and sheet at the end of the bed. She pulled out one of her mum's feet and moved it a little. She knew from her research that the danger of a blood clot was minimal because of her medications but she still didn't want to take a chance.

"You'd have laughed the first time I took Ron shopping for pants. Up until then his mum bought them. He nearly had a meltdown when he saw the variety he could pick from. She bought what they could afford but I wasn't going to see him wearing threadbare pants any longer. Once we returned to England, which was before you repatriated, I took him shopping then went back later to purchase pants for him. I came home and tossed all the old, the threadbare, and the worn pants in his bureau dresser. He walked in and saw me sitting on the floor sorting his pants and got so mad at me. He yelled at me for throwing away _perfectly good pants_ into the rubbish pile."

She picked up the foot and moved it around a little in an attempt to keep the ankle flexible. The nurses this morning did the same for her but twice a day made more sense.

"We've been together 15 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I've purchased white knickers and pants for either one of us. Most of that were maternity and nursing bras for when I was pregnant with Rose and then Hugo. I was upset since I felt like a cow. Ron said I finally looked healthy. Whom am I to argue with the love of my life?"

She massaged the lean muscle in the legs while moving the knee.

"But I also know it sent you around the twist knowing that we were shagging before we came to Australia. I still remember the harsh things you said that day before you stormed out of the house. I had betrayed your trust by using magic on you and you lashed out. You told the truth but you were so horrible in how you said it." Hermione sniffed, stifling the emotions yet again. "What you said hurt terribly and it took a while for me to get over it." Hermione continued to massage the muscles in the calf, working her fingers into the muscle to loosen it up. "I realize now that you didn't care how harsh it came across, how brutal it sounded to my wounded ears. You told the truth as you saw it and you weren't going to hold back how you felt. I betrayed your trust and that was your way of wounding me back."

Hermione took a deep breath. "It took years for me to accept that you were as blunt as Ron. If I wanted solace I needed Dad, not you. It's still the same even now. If I want answers, I ask Ron. If I want solace, I call Ginny or talk with Audrey, Angelina or Fleur. Even Luna is more help."

Hermione finished with the first foot and leg and started on the second one. "I swore I heard your teeth grinding from the other end of the house when we retired for the night. Once our door was closed I heard you yelling at Dad. I knew you were irate for what we were doing, shagging like rabbits. You told me straightaway that you thought I had lost my mind. I still remember that row completely. I only fought back because you lit into Ron. Rowing with me was fine but lighting into him was uncalled for."

Hermione picked up the foot and worked the toes into some semblance of flexibility. "How could you know that I would collapse three days later and have a magical crisis? You certainly didn't understand why I had such trauma and needed a mind healer for the next year while at school. You thought it was an excuse to get out of my responsibilities, thought I was hiding from the consequences of what happened. Then again it's not like I trusted you, hurting like I did, to confide in you what happened. I didn't know until much later that I was using sex as a coping mechanism."

Hermione picked up the tube of lotion from the bedclothes and applied some to her hands. "I'm shocked that you didn't throw us both out of the house after Ron yelled at you in the hospital. I bet that was Dad intervening in the situation. He's the peacemaker, just like Harry is."

Hermione started rubbing lotion into her mum's leg and worked her way down to the toes. "You didn't understand until later how much we changed since I sent you away. You didn't know that he was my soul mate and that it wasn't a question of if we were getting married but when. You only knew him as the horrible boy from school who often made me cry. You didn't know he was the reason I was still breathing, still coherent. You didn't know him as the love of my life, the one who actually could make me feel alive. We've been married 13 years, together for 15 and yet he can just look at me a certain way and it twists my knickers."

Hermione picked up the tube and squeezed more out onto her hands. She picked up the first foot and started working the lotion into the skin. "How can you know these things when we've barely talked in those intervening years? Sure, it's about Rose and Hugo, small talk and idle chat but it's not the conversations we had when Ron broke my heart the second time. We've certainly not talked of ships and sealing wax, cabbages and kings."

Eventually she finished with one foot and did the second one. "It would have been nice to have had someone doting on me like this when I was petrified my second year. I was stiff for a week once I was administered the mandrake draught. I don't think Ron or Harry knew or realized it once I was awake. Merlin, there were days when Ron would drive me around the twist. Harry was just as bad but in a different way. He would get moody and quiet while Ron would fight back. Then again, they did laugh at me when I accidently polyjuiced into a cat. I was upset but looking back it's rather funny now.

"I wish you had known them like I did then. After Ron knocked out the mountain troll they were my friends. They were so silly and oblivious and ignorant. Ron was a prat from as soon as I met him, but I didn't do any favors either. They didn't mind I was a swot – not when I was helping them with their lessons and revisions. They were also the only ones who didn't bother me that they weren't as smart or picked on me for how much I bossed them around."

Hermione stopped prattling. She stood silent for seconds, realizing the opportunity she had before her. Only the repetition of the vent broke the silence. "Know what? Since you're a captive audience right now, I think it is time I tell you everything. It's not like you're too busy to listen or act like you're asleep in the middle of it all so I'll quit talking. That tactic quit working after my fifth year."

Hermione pulled over the cheap chair she borrowed from another room and pulled it up to the end of the bed. The chair was far from comfortable and it strained her back some but it would suffice for the night.

"I guess I should start at the beginning. That would be when I met Neville and helping him look for his missing toad. The train had just pulled away from the station and you told me to ignore the other kid's laughter because I was already in my robes. Not a minute later a student came up to me and asked if I had seen his toad on the train. Well,…"

Hermione started telling her Mum about Hogwarts. She was going to tell her Mum everything, good and bad, as long as she was asleep.

* * *

Francine stood outside of room 12 of the Critical care ward. She had a clipboard in front of her with orders for Mrs. Granger inside. She saw that her last dose of morphine was 4pm and was expecting at some point in the night for her to wake up. She still had to administer the other medications and check her vitals but she could do that in seconds.

She stepped into the room and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Immediately she saw Mrs. Granger's daughter sitting in the chair talking quietly. The two ladies looked different yet similar. They appeared to have the same stature, the same hair color and the same pallor. The little light in the room illuminated the few gray hairs on both their heads. Yet there were also differences. The daughter looked an old soul in a youthful body. Her eyes were expressive through the fatigue yet her back was straight, as if held up by force of will. Her hands were strong yet wizened but she also saw scars just barely visible under the cuffs of her vest.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you need anything?"

The daughter looked up from her mum's face. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd talk to her. She's probably been bored to tears by now listening to me jabber on about my days at boarding school in Scotland."

"I'll beg to differ. Talking to a patient while they are like this gives them a desire to come out of the fog, gives them a reason to wake up. You keep talking and I'll not bother you."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you," she replied quietly before turning back to her mum. "So we found out about Anacondas and Goliath Birdeaters. Those are spiders that live in South America…."

Francine tuned out the conversation of Zoology and finished her notes for Mrs. Granger. She worked quickly, replacing the dextrose bag after cleaning her IV ports and finishing with the necessary pain relievers and blood thinners.

"But I missed those lessons since I was so sick in the hospital wing. It would have been fascinating to see them in person," Hermione said to her mum. "Then again, after listening to Harry and Ron talk about the spiders – and how scared Ron was of them – might have frightened me too. If I saw a spider the size of a wheel well cover, I'd have been scared too."

Francine turned to walk out and caught a snippet of the rest, "And he's still afraid of spiders." She closed the door behind her and onto the next patient in her care.

* * *

Francine stood outside of room 12 yet again. It was a little after 4 in the morning and Mrs. Granger was due for a check. She had her clipboard and her hands were now sterile. She had the syringes in her smock and was ready to finish with her so she could get her dinner in the nurse's lounge.

She stepped into the room and it hadn't changed since midnight. Mrs. Weasley was still sitting in the chair quietly talking but Mrs. Granger seemed to be awake according to the monitors yet had her eyes closed. She didn't know if Mrs. Weasley realized that her mum had come out of the sedation.

Snippets of conversation caught her ears. She heard about running the halls of the Ministry on a trip and standing in the Hall of Archives in London. She listened discretely when she heard Mrs. Weasley mentioned getting hurt terribly while they were there and waking up days later in the hospital.

_That might explain the scars._

Francine finished quickly and stepped back out of the room so she could make her notes and eat dinner.

* * *

Francine stepped back into the Granger room at six am. Dawn was breaking on the horizon, sunlight slowly trickling through the east facing windows. She looked at Mrs. Granger and saw that she was awake. Mrs. Weasley obviously hadn't noticed since she had her head on her hands and was far off in memory by the distant look on her face. Francine made a note of it, ignoring the chatter from Hermione about a row with her husband and him going home angry from their camping trip.

_I'd be mad too if he got up and left me there. Sheesh, what a prat!_

Francine finished changing out the saline bag and quietly slipped from the room. She had charts to finish and her notes to add to the charts before the next shift came on duty. She was ready for a pint and a kip even if most of the world was just waking up to the day.

She didn't interrupt Mrs. Weasley talking about how upset she was that Ron left her at their camp.

* * *

Sunshine barged in through the blinds on the window. It illuminated the two ladies in the room. One sat in almost the same position as earlier while the other lay in her bed. The one in the bed had her eyes open, listening intently to the adventures, escapades, and torments her daughter endured.

"The only way we could escape was on the back of the opaleye they had deep in the high security vaults. I hated that they had him chained down there but there was no other way for us to get out of there. So, we jumped on his back, broke his chains and held on for dear life while he clawed his way up to the surface. Once he was outside he took off and we rode it for hours. It's similar to the paradox of riding a tiger – it's a great ride but getting off of it without getting eaten or burned to a crisp is the challenge. It's a wonder we didn't run into a snatcher's gang on the ride up – or Aurors patrolling the skies. But then we saw an opportunity – jumping into a loch in Scotland and Harry said – "

Hermione felt her mum's hand move. Hermione squeezed them between her hands. Her mum squeezed it back. She looked up from the blankets that served as her pillow throughout the night and saw her mum's green eyes looking back at her.

"Mum?"

Jean smiled through the tubes helping her breathe. It was weak by comparison but felt like the best hug she ever received. She squeezed Hermione hands intentionally with as much force as she could muster.

"You're awake!" she said thickly. Hermione felt the boulder in her throat, choking on her reply. "Merlin, you're awake!"

Jean reached her hand up and ran her fingers across her daughter's cheek, pulling the first tears off. Hermione leaned into her mum's hand, feeling the warmth across her fingertips.

Hermione pulled her mum's hands back into her own. "Are you hurting?"

Jean shook her head.

"Do you know who I am?"

Jean nodded emphatically.

"Do you know your name?"

Jean pulled Hermione's hand open and wrote out her name.

"That's absolutely right. Do you know where you are?"

Jean looked around the sun illuminated room and looked confused. She turned her head back to her daughter and shook her head in response.

"You had a heart attack. You're in the hospital."

Algae green eyes imitated a house elf. Jean curled her hand and pointed at herself.

"Yes, you had a heart attack. It's a miracle you're alive. Dad caught you and did CPR on you."

Jean's hand went back up to her daughter's face while the other one sought out her hands. A gentle squeeze was all that was said.

"Oh Mum!" Hermione put her head on the blanket and wept in earnest, the emotional restraint melting away under her mum's delicate fingers. Hermione relishing the solace of her mum's fingers running through her hair.


	8. Confessions and Epiphanies

**Ch. 8 - Confessions and Epiphanies**

* * *

**A/N:** So I looked in the mirror. My hair isn't blonde and my eyes are still brown. That means I'm not JK Rowling. Carry on. - DG

* * *

Ron apparated into the Granger's backyard at half-seven. Hermione stayed the night before at the hospital with her Mum. He wanted to stay up there too but she shoved him out the door and told him to go home and get some sleep. He knew she was running on fumes. Hermione was good at it but there was a cost later on when she would come down sick from exhaustion. That part of Hermione hadn't changed since she was a child.

He couldn't tell her not to do it. Mum was worth it, his or hers.

He tossed and turned half the night, missing her soft snoring when she rolled onto her back. He missed that she would snuggle into his side halfway through the night when she got cold under the blankets. He even missed that she would wake him with a gentle kiss and a cup of tea on the side table in the morning.

He missed her terribly.

_Knock, Knock, Knock._

Robert appeared at the door looking better this morning than the night before. "Ron, it's nice of you to come to get me. Have you eaten?"

"I had a cuppa and a piece of toast. That's not breakfast." His stomach grumbled in agreement.

"We'll get a cook-up at the hospital. I had it yesterday morning and for cafeteria food it's not bad."

"I sure hope so. I'm famished this morning. Mum fed me sandwiches and crisps when I stopped by to visit the kids last night but it was enough. I think I ate a whole bag of vinegar crisps along with four pastrami and cheese sandwiches. Say what you will but the butcher in Ottery St. Catchpole knows his deli meats."

Robert looked sideways from the collection of papers he had on the countertop. "Your mum feeds you so well. How does she do it when you have a hollow leg?"

"I dunno how they did it while we were growing up. Mum always had enough on the table for us kids. We might have had threadbare trousers and darned socks but she made sure we had enough to eat. What we lacked in stuff Mum and Dad more than made up for it in other ways." Ron picked up and apple and took a huge bite. That would suffice until he could get breakfast. "When Hermione and I got together, she couldn't feed me enough there for a while. She'd pile my plate high – or Mum would – but I'd still get seconds and thirds. She'd get so mad sometimes. When Hermione would work late I'd get dinner with Mum and Dad. When Hermione wasn't in the mood to cook something we'd go over there. The last couple of weeks that first summer I ate everything in sight. At least we did once we returned to England."

Robert was looking at his important papers in front of him. His cup of tea was untouched while he was reading. "I never did ask how much weight you had lost. I know when we first saw you in Australia that both of you looked like prison camp refugees."

Ron finished his apple and threw the core in the rubbish bin. "I dunno but it might have been two stone worth. It was pretty bad out there for a while and Hermione did what she could to keep us fed. You can only do so much with mushrooms and scavenged items. You should have seen us when we arrived at my brother's place that night in March. Even after a month of eating my sister in law's cooking we were still painfully thin. We looked better when you saw us in June.

"Harry and I got our weight back fast enough. Triple helpings from Mum and at Training camp did the trick. By Christmas we were back to almost normal. Hermione wasn't so lucky. Harry and I didn't know that she hadn't been eating until after we had been at Bill's a while. Fleur coaxed her to eat and once she did she put on a little weight. Then she had the row with Mum and quit eating again. Two weeks took all of the weight off of her and then more."

"Well that would partially explain why she fell out in Australia."

Ron ran his hand through his hair. That nightmare still plagued him on rare occasions.

"We thought things would be better once she went back to school and had a regular schedule. That was bloody stupid on my part. I never put it together but my sister Ginny did. Harry and I didn't know the smell of meat made her sick 'til Ginny said something in a letter when they were back at school. Ginny went barmy over it, cornered the headmaster and they put a stop to it." Ron picked up a second apple and looked at it. He put it back in the fruit bowl. "So much happened their last year of school – things that Hermione, nor Ginny – and especially Luna – won't talk about. But when I saw her that Christmas she was looking a little healthier."

"My days in OCS for the Royal Navy were that bad. The food was rubbish. I think I dropped that much in four months. When we got back to shore from our training voyage I put away enough to feed your family for a week."

"That's impossible," Ron snorted. "All of us ate like hippogriffs, especially my sister. By the time Mum would come sit down to eat the plates were mostly empty. The only rule was that we couldn't nick off Mum's dinner. Dad made sure of it. The one time Charlie did – I think he took a buttered parsnip off her plate – Dad yelled at him for a good five minutes. Needless to say that never happened again."

Robert finished shuffling his papers into an accordion folder. "Well, I'm glad you're here to help. I'd be lost otherwise. It's a wonder I know how to tie the laces on my trainers in the morning much less do anything important."

"I'm glad we can help. There's nothing we wouldn't do for family."

"I know. I'm thankful for it." Robert put a hand on Ron's arm and squeezed. "Are you ready to ride over to the hospital? It's only a five minute drive from here."

"Are you sure? I can apparated us over. It's not a problem."

"Absolutely. I know you prefer using magic but it's hard on an old man's bones."

"You look healthy as an ox to me."

"So did Jean and look what happened."

Ron grimaced. "Point taken."

The men made their way out to the driveway. Ron got into the late model Range Rover. "Nice car Dr. Granger."

"It was Jean's idea. She said if we were driving from here to your place in Cardiff we should have something comfortable. I just think she wanted something safer when the grandkids were over."

"You know you are always welcome at our house."

Robert turned and looked at his son-in-law. "I've never had a problem visiting. The problem has been Jean. She's the one who keeps grudges and it's been hard on all of us. I'm glad Hermione is strong enough to put up with her mum so the grandkids can spend time with us. I'd hate to have missed out on their lives."

"Hermione wouldn't have had it any other way. I also like to think that rowing with me all these years toughened her skin enough to deal with her Mum. It hurts her and she hides it from the kids as best as she can but I can tell."

"I hope things don't go back to how they were after this."

* * *

"So I said to the waiter, 'I asked for penne and not linguine.' You'd think someone who works in an Italian restaurant would know their pastas."

"I hope that wasn't Antonio's in Soho. Hermione loves going there with the kids when she has to work late."

"It wasn't Antonio's. The place I was talking about is up around the corner from the hospital. Mamma Mia's normally is fantastic but we might have gotten a new waiter that night. He looked like he needed to still be on his mum's apron strings."

The men walked into the room and stopped immediately. Hermione was sitting on the edge of a hard chair with her head and shoulders on the white blankets of the bed, sobbing. In her left hand was her mum's left hand while Jean was using her other hand to run her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Jean?" Robert said, barely above a whisper.

She slowly turned her head to the door and smiled through the vent tubes. She took her hand off of her daughter's head and crooked her finger at him. He took two strides to his wife's side and knelt next to the bed.

"I know you can't talk yet but how are you?"

Jean lifted her hand and gave a _so-so_ shake of her hand.

"You want me to call the nurse to let them know?"

She raised her thumb in approval.

Robert checked the bedclothes and found the red button controller.

"Here. You do it. You've earned it."

He handed it to her and she pressed the button hard.

"Nurse's Station," a clipped voice came through the intercom on the wall.

"This is Jean Granger's room. She's awake."

"We'll be down shortly."

Robert looked up at his wife and saw the soft green eyes. Tears were in there but so was a smile. "Did Hermione wake you?"

She lightly shook her head.

He looked over at his daughter settling into weeping on the bed. Her husband was kneeling at her side whispering softly in her ear while rubbing his large hand between her shoulders over the jumper.

Jean moved her hand back to her daughter's head and laid it gently on her unruly mop of hair. Robert joined in with her, interlacing his fingers with his wife.

* * *

The room was quiet once again. Hermione's stomach roiled from the turbulent emotions of the last twelve hours. Exhaustion pulled at her but she was accustomed to running on short sleep. She stepped out while the nurse was in the room. She wanted to wash her face and find a cup of coffee to keep her going. The nurse left before she returned and she insisted that her father and husband go get breakfast downstairs. They didn't quibble at her request but insisted that she eat something too once they returned. She didn't have the heart to tell them no.

"Mum? Are you still awake?"

Jean turned her head towards Hermione on the couch. She nodded softly.

"I have my tablet I got for Christmas. It has a typing feature on it. If I handed it to you do you think you could use it? I know you have questions. I can see it on your face."

Jean nodded once again. Hermione opened her overnight bag and pulled out the charmed electronic device, powering it up. She cleared the screen of her legal papers and work documents to a clear notepad. She walked over and handed her mum the device.

Hermione still stayed arm's length from her mum. Jean lifted her eyebrow. "I can't get any closer than this since you're still hooked up to the vent and monitors. If I did it would short circuit them."

Jean looked down at the tablet in front of her face. Another puzzled look crossed her face.

"Ron's dad is a whiz. He charmed the tablet to work around magic. He's tried to make modern cell phones work but it's just too delicate. I already fried Dad's yesterday by accident."

_Knock Knock. _ "Mrs. Granger?"

Lord Echlin walked in with a cadre of residents and students in tow. "Mrs. Granger? I'm Lord Echlin, Chief Cardiologist at the hospital."

Jean smiled with her eyes up at the doctor.

"Hermione, it's so good to see you. How are you?"

"I'm exhausted but thankful that Mum woke this morning."

"I'm excited to see that." He turned back to Mrs. Granger in the bed. "You were brought in two days ago in the middle of a heart attack. It's a miracle that we were able to save you."

Jean lifted the tablet in her hand and slowly typed out something for the doctor to see. Lord Echlin laughed. "You astound me Mrs. Granger. That certainly was a contributing factor to your survival."

The doctor turned to Hermione who looked puzzled. "Your mum took aspirin the morning of her heart attack. That explains why she was able to hold on until we could get a catheter in her and get started."

The door opened and Robert and Ron walked in. "Ah, Dr. Granger. Who is this gentleman with you? Would this be the esteemed Ron Weasley?"

Ron's ears flushed red but he didn't answer. "Lord Echlin, Chief of Cardiology. My son went to the same boarding school in Scotland his last two years. The first year he hated for obvious reasons and the second was a completely different experience. Your wife and her friends had much influence in his dramatic change."

"Ron, you remember I mentioned Kasey in the letters I sent home, right? He and Luna are close friends."

"Ah, yeah. Wait? Kasey Echlin's your son? He's a whiz for us in the department."

"That's him."

"He's been dead helpful for us." Ron put his hand out to shake his hand. "I'm glad he works for us."

Lord Echlin smiled further. "I'm glad he's a help."

Lord Echlin turned back to the bed. "Jean, we're going to run some tests today and make sure you're ready to come off the vent. While you were on the operating table we put in some stents to keep your veins open. We want to make sure your heart and lungs are ready to work on their own again."

Mum typed out more questions on the tablet. She lifted the tablet where the doctor could see her question.

"If you improve like you have been, a few more days. We don't want you back here unless it's a social visit. You're extremely fortunate. It's a wonder that we're having a conversation."

Jean typed out more words then showed the doctor. He took off his glasses to wipe them. Ron knew that move since Dad did it often. He replaced them quickly. "If you don't know, your daughter helped save my son's life. Her and her friends made all the difference his last year at school. I'm honored to know her and you as well. So get well and we'll talk tomorrow."

The cadre of doctors left leaving the family quiet. Robert stroked his wife's hand that was in his own. A puzzled look was on his face. "What does he mean, Hermione, when he said you saved his son's life?"

Hermione looked at her husband before turning her parents. She waited while he closed the door and sealed it. "After the fighting ended, Harry and Ron crashed. I couldn't sleep so I got up and found Luna in the Great Hall. Ginny, Luna, Dean Thomas and I went searching the castle. Since the fighting was everywhere we had to make sure no one was overlooked or missed.

"We checked the Hufflepuff common room along with the Slytherin room as well. They were completely clear. We knew about Gryffindor tower since the survivors stayed in there too – those who stayed. Then we walked to the last dorm tower – Ravenclaw tower. Sure enough it hadn't been checked."

Hermione took a deep breath before continuing. "The Carrows were gone from the tower when we got there but no one checked up in the dorms. Unlike Gryffindor tower which was pretty much unscathed, Ravenclaw tower was different. We found wanton destruction on each floor. But what we didn't anticipate was finding a dead Death Eater at the third landing and Kasey Echlin standing fierce watch for the floors above.

"I sent Dean and Ginny to the hospital ward to tell them that they might more casualties coming in. For Kasey, it took me and Luna a good hour for him to lower his wand. Once he did we found that he was the only barrier to the third floor dorm room which had about 20 underage students in there. They were trapped in the tower and hadn't escaped in time. When we checked him he had curse damage and other extensive injuries. He collapsed on Dean and with Luna's help they got him to the hospital wing straightaway and saved his life.

"That's what Lord Echlin was referring to. He saved all those kids lives and we saved his the next year."

Jean typed out something on the tablet and handed it to Robert. "I didn't know either. There's plenty we don't know."

"Why don't we sit down and I can talk? But first, I could use a cup of tea."

Ron got up and went for the door. "I'll get it. Be right back."

Hermione settled in to start telling her story after the fighting ended at Hogwarts.

* * *

The room was quiet except for the beeping machines. The men left a little while ago to have a late lunch. She told them before they left that she might consider eating something if it was vegetarian. She forgot to eat her gingered broccoli last night and passed on the rock hard scones they brought up from the canteen downstairs. Mum waking up broke the stress she had and she was finally hungry. She knew in three days she would be home, in the bed, sick.

Seeing Mum awake this morning was worth it.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Mum was waving to her from the bed. She went to her and brought the tablet with her. Hermione handed her mum the tablet. "You're awake again. You dozed off during the tedious part of my story."

_Sorry. Didn't mean to._

"It's fine. Cleaning houses for other people is boring for the most part. If you knew now how bad Harry's brownstone over in Islington was trashed you'd cringe. You didn't need to know how terribly messy and cluttered Percy's flat was either. It's also a good thing you don't know how mean and ugly I was to George in those days either."

_I heard you talking._

"When was this? Just now when I was talking about the summer after the end of the fighting?"

_I remember a flying horse. Guess it was early this morning._

"You didn't hear about me turning into a cat, did you?"

_No but I'd like to hear that. sure it's funny now._

"How much did you hear?

_everything from the flying horse. I didn't know._

Hermione gave her mum a serious look. "How could you know if I never trusted enough to tell you?"

_Scared of knowing. Frightened of your gifts. Couldn't understand._

"Why didn't you say anything earlier? Why carry this grudge so long?"

Hermione watched her mum type out her answers slowly.

_Jealous pride got in way. upset you weren't little girl any longer. Mad I couldn't protect you. Angry you're so amazing – nothing to do with me. Bitter you are better woman. _

"Why now?" Hermione sounded shell-shocked, barely talking above a whisper. "What happened? Why do you have the change of heart?"

_Did I die?_

"Dad did CPR on you before the paramedics got there. Somehow they got you restarted and you crashed again on the table. The doctors got you started again and kept your heart going."

_Saw things I can't explain. Realized hurt you horribly. Forgive me?_

"I did years ago. I've been waiting for you to forgive yourself."

Hermione saw one lone tear trickle out. Hermione choked down the bezor in her throat. One of her own joined it, on a parallel journey separated by the wards. Hermione reached her hand out and held her mum's elbow.

One question tickled her mind, compelling her to ask, "What are you going to do with the rest of your life, now that you have been given a second chance?"

Hermione watched her mum think. She knew the look on her face since she saw the same look in the mirror every morning. 'Like mother, like daughter,' she thought.

Jean slowly typed out her reply. _Make things right. Wasted too much time and missed so much._

Hermione watched two more tears leak out of her mum's eyes. Hermione took her mum's hands in her own, pressing them into her cheek.

Jean pulled her hands back and slowly typed on the pad, _Hug me please._

"I can't yet. If I get any closer I'll short out your machines. When you're off of them I promise."

_When?_

"I hope it's later today. But you'll still be here a few more days to recover and make sure nothing else happens."

_Silly to be so tired. Did nothing today._

Hermione smiled. "Oh I know. I had about 2 weeks way back when I did nothing but sleep or get carried downstairs by Ron to eat or get fresh air."

_He's good for you. Should have told him already._

"He knows. We've talked about it. He makes me a better person and he says the same about me."

_I love you._

"I love you too Mum. Tired?"

Jean nodded.

"You go back to sleep then. I'm not going anywhere."

Jean reached her hand out and grasped both of Hermione's. A hard squeeze and she nestled back into the bed.

"Mum?"

Jean opened her tired eyes.

"I missed you."

Jean pointed at her chest before holding up two fingers.

Hermione understood completely.

* * *

"Ready when you are," Hermione said quietly.

The Pulmonologist was standing on the other side giving directions. Ron and Robert left some time ago because they didn't want to see the barbaric procedure called tube removal from Jean. According to the tests she was ready to get off the machine and start breathing on her own again.

Hermione saw her mother's green eyes. Fear, apprehension, trepidation – all were written plainly on her face. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Just focus on me."

The nurses worked efficiently to prepare her best. Hermione stood at her mum's hip holding her hand and her gaze. "We're ready."

The baritone voice of the doctor spoke up. "Jean, it's time to cough."

Hermione watched them work and shared her mum's painful tears. "Almost there," she heard the Pulmonologist say while they were doing the tube removal. Her eyes never left her Mum even with her hand aching terribly, close to breaking from her Jean's painful grip.

A short cough greeted her. "You did it," Hermione said emphatically.

She waited while the nurses fitted her with a nasal cannula. The oxygen she would get was a temporary measure, nothing more than a crutch until she was strong enough to not need it.

"I don't want that again." Jean smirked once they were finished getting her settled. "That bloody well hurt."

"Are you hurting Mrs. Granger?" the nurse inquired. "Do you need pain relief?"

"My throat is raw from the tubes. I don't fancy sounding like Shirley Bassey the rest of my life."

The nurses chuckled. "That's temporary. You'll have your normal voice back in a few days. Ice and plenty of rest will help it get better. But we'll give you some pain relievers if you would like."

"Can we wait? I can deal with a scratchy throat. I've slept enough."

"That's fine. Call us on the intercom when you want them. Don't wait too long for them though."

"I'll call after dinner then."

"Very good." Hermione watched the support staff leave the room. For moments it was just them. Hermione stepped closer and reached over the bed to hug her mum.

_Beep Beep Beep_

"The bloody hell is that noise?"

Hermione looked at the vitals monitor on the other side of the bed. She took a step back and the machine started working properly again. "I told you that would happen."

"Why didn't it happen before now?"

"That's how magic works. It's like a magnetic field. In here, I had to insulate the machines at a distance – and keep Ron and I away from them – so they wouldn't be affected. It worked – but it also meant that the closest I could get to holding you was holding your hands. Any closer and it could have hurt you by affecting the ventilator."

"Is that why you stayed closer to my feet? The proximity to them would – "

"I could have fried them out like Dad's cell phone. I couldn't and wouldn't take that risk."

_Knock Knock Knock._

"Food Services. I have dinner for Mrs. Granger."

"Finally. I'm hungry."

Hermione grinned. "You sound like Ron." Hermione took the sliding tray table from the corner of the room and set it before her mum. She worked quickly laying out the items on the tray as her mum preferred. She saw a smile from Mum and knew she had it right.

Hermione took the lid off and frowned. "What is that?" She picked up the ticket on the tray: p_ureed chicken and gravy; green beans; creamed potatoes._ She read further. "Doctor's orders: nothing harsh on her throat and no spices."

"I would have preferred a soup. Don't you have soup?" Jean croaked.

"My apologies. This was what was on the menu tonight."

"This pabulum will be the death of me." Jean turned her head towards her daughter who was preparing her dinner tray. "I never thought I'd admit to that – wanting Indian over hospital food. Even your father's favorite curry dish would taste better."

Hermione threw her head back in pure laughter. "I'll tell him that when he comes back in."

"Don't you dare!"

Hermione's laughter greeted Robert and Ron as they came into the room.


	9. Rehab

**Ch. 9 - Rehab**

* * *

**A/N:** Nope. Still not JK Rowling no matter how much I write in her wonderland. - DG

* * *

Jean was sweating and she hated sweating. Physical exertions she chose to do, such as working in her flower beds or walking in the brisk morning were one thing. Trivial activities that she never paid a second to, such as brushing her hair or walking across the room, left her exhausted and needing rest. Sweating under the watchful eyes of a therapist was an entirely different beast. She could sleep for hours after a session with the fiend known as a physical therapist. Other times she might nap but sometimes her mind ran.

Three weeks ago she had a heart attack. Divine providence saw fit to let her continue drawing breath. She couldn't rationalize that she was still alive by chance. Robert was there and intervened and through the miracle of modern medicine she lived through the ordeal.

She couldn't remember fainting. She barely recalled being sick the day before. The actual heart attack didn't haunt her – but her daughter's words did. That one question Hermione asked her while she was still on the vent, hours awake after suffering a near fatal heart attack, rattled her mind.

"_What are you going to do with the rest of your life, now that you have been given a second chance?"_

Jean thought long and hard during those hours when she couldn't sleep yet Robert or Hermione or even Molly dozed in her room. Her vaunted rational logic all pointed to the same conclusion, no matter how she tried to squeak through a loophole.

She could have not been sweating, or thinking, or feeling anything, much less buried under a mound of dirt. She should have been dead yet wasn't. For whatever reason, she was given a second chance to live.

She wasted valuable time being angry for the wrong reasons. She had much to make up for. She had reason to keep living – things to make right.

Jean looked up from her feet and saw her hero. She swayed in the therapist's arms but those passionate brown eyes ten feet away gave her motivation to take another step. Each day Hermione was there helping make each day worth living, each session a little easier.

She'd cherish each precious breath. She'd deal with sweating as long as she could. It beat the alternative.

* * *

Jean was discharged from Oxford University Hospital nine days after her heart attack. Hermione was there every step along the way, taking sick leave from her department to care for her Mum. Before they were settled well into the house Molly Weasley came by and brought a meal fit for the family. She said she didn't want Hermione cooking and tending her Mum by herself the first day. While Hermione plated lunch for the family Molly worked like a cleaning witch and made the house immaculate.

"I'm sure Jean will appreciate it. It'll be one less thing for her to worry over."

Robert chuckled at her comments. He knew his limitations at cleaning and other domestic affairs. "You're right Molly. I can clean but it's not clean enough for Jean. I tend to forget the cobwebs in the corners and dust in the attic. But fuss over it later. Come eat lunch with us."

"Robert!" Jean fussed. "Let the woman work if she wants."

Molly flicked her wand one last time before sitting down with the Granger family for a lunch of Corned beef and cabbage. Hermione gave her a quick look. "Oh don't worry. I brought over candied ham and the sides for dinner tonight. I know Ron despises corned beef."

"I dunno why Molly. This is the best I've ever tasted," Robert said through a mouthful.

Jean and Hermione shared a smirk through mutual bites of cabbage.

Later that afternoon, once Jean was settled on the couch in the parlor, Ginny came by with Rose and Hugo so they could visit their Grandmum. No one was immune from tears that flowed – or the plethora of cards and pictures drawn for her. Rose talked her Grandmum's ears off while Hugo snuggled into her lap, content to read a book.

Hermione watched from the doorway before returning to the kitchen to heat up dinner for the family. No one saw Hermione wiping her eyes on the apron flaps or the smile on her face at her family spending time together.

Ginny joined her in the kitchen a few minutes later. Hermione poured a bowl of vegetables into a saucepot to reheat it. "Please tell me you didn't cook today."

Hermione turned to her best friend and sister in law standing at the counter island. "Hardly. Molly cooked it and brought it over for dinner. We had corned beef and cabbage for lunch and this is dinner. You know your brother refuses to eat corned beef."

"He's such a spoiled git." Ginny took the loaf of bread and proceeded to slice it. "You want butter and garlic on this?"

"Butter and garlic on some of it, plain for Mum. Those are the doctor's orders for now." Hermione put the sliced bread on the oven tray. "He is but he's also going to help get Mum settled upstairs this evening. Dad and I could do it but I don't want to stress Dad before he goes to the doctor next week. I also hesitate doing magic around Mum right now. I want her to get stronger before we have her tested at St. Mungo's."

"We could do it. We could get her up the stairs."

"We could but Ron already agreed. I'll get you to help when she goes back to the doctor on Monday."

"How'd you bribe him to do the heavy lifting?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Blimey! You mean you actually still do that? Incredible."

Hermione smirked. "He is rather simple. Fleur taught me that."

Ginny broke out laughing. "Oh I know. Harry's the same way."

Ginny slowly quit laughing. "You look better than you did last week."

"I got some sleep and Mum getting out of the hospital made all the difference."

"I'm not talking about that. You look years younger."

Hermione sat down. "How about I tell you after Sunday brunch? While Harry and Ron play with the kids we'll sit under the apple trees and talk. Just like old times."

"I'll hold you to it."

* * *

Ron arrived shortly after Ginny left and they all tucked in. The conversation was comfortable, especially between Jean and the family. They talked about the terrible hospital food, the cute therapist she had while she was getting out of bed and how mortifying a sponge bath really was.

Through it all Hermione could only smile.

Hermione stood up first so she could clear the dishes from the table. Jean stood up also, intending to assist in washing dishes before retiring to the study for a spell. Instead Ron scooped her up into his arms.

"What are you doing? Put me down right now!"

"Hush until I get you in your bedroom." Ron trudged up the stairs with his mother-in-law in his arms. She held on for dear life until he gently put her down on her bed.

"The bloody hell'd you do that for?"

"We aren't using magic to levitate you up the stairs Mrs. Granger. There was no other option tonight. Your daughter'd hex me if I did."

"I could have walked with help or Robert could have done it."

"Rubbish. He's not helping you up the stairs – not until he has his own check-up. You're here so now you can rest."

"Mum, don't argue with him. You'll just lose your voice again. Merlin knows I've lost it a few times with him rowing."

"I had other things that I needed to do."

"Nonsense. I'll have it sorted before I leave for the night. You rest and I'll take care of it."

Jean settled back against the pillows on the bed, catching a whiff of nutmeg and apples in the room. _Molly must have done that._ But almost immediately she felt the bed rattle around. She looked up and saw Hugo crawling onto the bed with her.

"Can I have a bedtime story Gramma?" Hugo handed over a children's book.

"Which one dear?"

Hugo snuggled into her arms and found a comfortable spot. "Daring Man on Witherwings."

Jean opened the book and found the page the story was on. She started reading, quietly getting into the story she was telling. It was rather captivating, reading about a mythological creature similar to Pegasus that she read as a child.

Jean looked up over the book and saw Hermione standing in the doorway, smiling.

Jean continued to read until Hugo had fallen asleep. She closed the book and saw the author's name on the front cover. Jean could only wipe her eyes again at seeing the name on the front cover.

* * *

Every morning at 8am Hermione arrived at the Granger residence with a satchel full of work. Even on sick leave she didn't stop working – just not at the office. She was a Solicitor so her responsibilities had to be fulfilled – but she also balanced her time with Mum and Hugo. The house needed cleaning, with and without magic. Errands had to be run for them both and meals needed to be cooked. Some days she had Hugo with her. He would play in the backyard with the toys or he'd read on the couch with Jean while Hermione was working upstairs. Other days he stayed with Grandmum Molly or Aunt Ginny.

Hermione insisted that mum follow the doctor's orders – bed rest for the first three days then slowly increasing her activity. Her therapy at home would be trips to the en suite. Those were exhausting enough that Jean followed the doctor's orders with few quibbles. She stayed in bed while Hermione tended her during the day and Robert saw to her at night.

She hated being sedentary. She loathed the indention her bum made, in the bed or on the couch. She had trouble coping with how easily frustrated she was at how pathetic and meager her efforts were on a daily basis. She tolerated being infirm, grumbling like her son in law, yet she worked hard daily to rebuild her strength and endurance. She still complained at being less than useful.

By the fourth day and her first trip downstairs – and a follow-up at the hospital – put her back in bed the rest of the day along with the next one.

No matter what Hermione was there to help.

"Hush Mum. I will take care of it for now."

Jean got sick of that phrase after the second day.

The surprise was the cavalcade of Weasley wives who stopped in and brought meals – or groceries for Hermione – or reading materials. Within a week Jean was introduced to all of them. She'd never admit it but she loved being doted on, even if it was for the wrong bloody reasons. Then again, she had family that cared for her – all because of how amazing her daughter was with them.

Audrey would bring paperwork from Hermione's office in the evenings – and also stop and pick up the post for the Grangers in Oxfordshire. She would assist with dinner before heading home to their residence outside of Bicester.

Ginny would be a dear and bring Rose over via Floo after school. Jean would watch them play in the back, scampering like kids did, enjoyed seeing her grandson and granddaughter playing with their cousins. Ginny would stay out there with Jean, relishing adult conversation for a spell while actively supervising the kids – and shielding the neighbors from accidental magic from James.

Angelina would come over at lunchtime, making sandwiches and supervising the kids while Hermione and Ginny helped Jean with her bath. Jean was mortified while the younger women shrugged.

"Fleur and Luna took care of me for weeks, helping me with a bath. There's nothing they didn't see or help me with those first two weeks. And this harpy here?" Hermione pointed to Ginny standing behind her getting the bathwater drawn. "Ginny's so comfortable in her own skin that she can drop her pants and not think twice about it. She could have been wealthier selling tickets to see her bum, so many have seen it. It's a wonder that Harry's wasn't jealous of the attention. He certainly wasn't the first to see, that's for sure."

"It's not a big deal Mrs. Granger. Both of us have gone through so much and had our friends see us at our worst, our weakest, much less our best, that we don't mind helping you at all."

Hermione smiled to light up the room. "We blame Angelina. She's worse than Ginny. She has absolutely no shame. She started it with her Quidditch playing. She shared the locker room with the guys and didn't blink an eye if they caught an eyeful."

Jean blushed in mortification before letting the younger wives help her with the bath.

Then there was Fleur. She stopped by with a pile of books for Jean to read. Jean forgot how gorgeous Fleur was – even after having three children, she was incredible – and all she could do was stare – until Fleur complained in French. Jean responded and they conversations took off. For once, Hermione was left behind, her capabilities in French limited by years of disuse. Only when she caught the other ladies looking at her and hearing _ma petite soeur_ did she turn and smile.

From then on, Fleur would stop by once a week and the ladies would converse in French exclusively. Hermione would sit, drinking tea and reading her papers while the ladies had an amazing afternoon, chatting away in French while eating sandwiches and drinking tea together.

Thursday afternoon was the first time Jean could catch her breath. Angelina left, along with Ginny and Fleur. Hermione was sitting quietly in the chair in their parlor reading her paperwork.

A question had tickled her tongue for the better part of the afternoon and she now had time to ask. "How can you keep up with them all? Everyone is so different yet still the same. Are all of Molly's kids married with a houseful of kids?"

"I realized early on that each of the Weasley men needed a strong woman in their life. We're all different yet share that quality. They aren't a ponce but they also don't need a simpering woman as their wife. They can handle a strong woman. And someone like George, he needs a strong hand."

Hermione looked up from her papers and smiled at her mum. "I should introduce you to Charlie the next time he's in country. He's the only bachelor of the bunch. Then again he's married to his work and his dragons so that's not surprising."

"Did you say Dragons?"

"I did. He works as a Dragon keeper in Romania. That's why the kids have so many stuffed dragons in their room at home. Every time he comes home to visit, like the prodigal son he is, he brings the kids stuffed dragons as gifts. They love them."

"So that's why there are dragon stuffed animals all over your house and mine. It's Uncle Charlie's fault."

"Charlie loves sharing his affinity of dragons with the kids. Too bad the real thing isn't so small or fluffy or docile. Hagrid said they were misunderstood creatures. I beg to differ. He's the one who thinks they are adorable. Personally breathing fire doesn't make them cute. Breathing fire makes them downright scary."

Jean laughed, remembering one of Hugo's stories.

* * *

Hermione sat quietly next to her Mum. They were in Healer Pavarti Patil-Raja's office at St. Mungo's and she had kept them waiting for some time now. They were waiting on her to return with Jean's blood analysis results. Healer Patil-Raja collaborated with Lord Echlin on magic affecting Muggles.

Dr. Raja walked in and smiled at the ladies. "I have excellent news. We did detect a faint residue of the magic you put on her years ago. We can treat it. The regimen to heal her will take three sessions, over the course of two weeks, followed by two weeks of potions as well. In short, the residue acted like a drain on her and weakened her heart. It's a great thing that she has such a strong heart already. Once she's stronger we'll start her on it."

"Are there any side effects?"

Pavarti winked surreptitiously. "Well, the fur and whiskers won't last but a day but you might want some milk during the treatments so you won't lick yourself too much."

"What!"

"I'm just messing with you and picking on Hermione. She knows what I'm laughing about."

Hermione blushed. "Remember when I mentioned accidently turning into a cat?"

Jean laughed.

"But no, the only downside is that our Potions master can't get it to taste anything other than Eau de Goblin. It's nasty on the taste buds but it will work. I'll also add a nerve regeneration potion and a blood booster to her potions regimen. After Eau de Goblin dirt shouldn't be that bad."

"Will that impact – "

"If you're referring to the blood thinner that Lord Echlin has you taking right now, no, it doesn't impact that. All it does is help make even more blood to go through your system and speed healing. Anyway, we won't start those until your therapy sessions in a couple of weeks. Everything you will get will work with what he has you taking right now. So, hopefully in three more months you'll be good as new."

"Three months?" Jean turned around and looked at her daughter. "But I thought – "

"This is new medicine Mum. You're actually one of the first of complementary medicine this way. Even with magic, not everything can be cured or healed. Neville's parents never recovered from their trauma. Merlin knows that the healers have tried everything they can think of." Hermione looked at Pavarti. "How are Frank and Alice doing?"

"They are about the same. Neville and Hannah were up here this past weekend to see them. They stayed a short time before leaving again. They'll be back next weekend as well."

"Would you mind if we went by there and said hello before we left today?"

"It couldn't hurt. They might even look at you a second."

Hermione sighed. "It would be the highlight of our day if that happened."

Healer Raja looked upon Mrs. Granger. "Their minds were destroyed by Bellatrix Lestrange – the same barmy witch who hurt Hermione. Some older healers hoped that when Lestrange died the dark magic would cease. That wasn't the case. Unlike Hermione, they never recovered from their ordeal. It's a wonder that she did too, for what she went through."

"That wasn't me. You know that. Ron was the one who pulled me through."

"You had to want to come out of it."

"I did. I hate that there was nothing more that could be done for them. I'm sorry that I couldn't help any further than I did."

"What you told us – along with Bill, Fleur, Ron and Luna – we made tremendous strides in working with the counter-curses on other patients. We might not have been able to help the Longbottoms but we've helped scores of other patients because of the notes and observations. That was the foundation for the empirical research and the breakthroughs we've had since then."

Jean turned around and looked at her daughter. "Is there anything you've not done or helped?"

"Well, I hate flying on a broom so I never played Quidditch."

Healer Raja laughed as well. "I prefer Floo or Apparition. I was never comfortable on a broom myself."

"But you're both witches?"

The younger ladies' laughed at the quip. "We leave the broom flying to Ginny and Ron. Personally I never liked the contraptions."

Healer Raja checked her parchment notes further. "How about we schedule you for a month from now? That will give you more time to heal and also get more therapy. It's not hard but it's draining. You'll be tired for a few days from it."

Hermione pulled her tabled from her purse and made notes. "A month from now is the 19th of October. That's a Saturday. How about the 21st? That's a Monday and I can easily make that appointment."

"That works for me. Before you leave schedule it with the duty nurse and we'll be set. She can do the session here and then go home for rest the remainder of the week."

* * *

Jean took six tentative steps. Each one was exhausting but her motivation was standing on the other side of the room. Hermione stood watching each step, focused on her mum's movements.

"Come on mum. Four more steps and you can rest. If I could do it in sand you can do it on hardwood."

"Yeah but you were eighteen and I'm more experienced than that!"

"I was in a coma for three days and bedridden another seven more. You were out for not even 48 hours. No excuses."

Jean stuck out her tongue at her daughter before taking another tentative step. "Let's see you do this without a walker and being held up by your belt under your sagging breasts."

"Don't make me call that cute therapist you had in the hospital. You know I will. He makes me look like a slacker when it comes to your rehab. I'm a fluffy kitty in comparison."

"You'd use anyone you can to get me to do more. Tempting me with fit men won't help either. I won't do it for them."

"I'll use anything I can to get your bum walking again. Now get a wiggle on."

"Maybe I should get you in my spot."

"No thanks. I've already gone through it three times. That's more than enough."

The staff laughed at the banter between mother and daughter.

"Come on Mom. Three more steps."

"Quit being a Harpy. I'll get there when I get there."

"Ginny's the Harpy – I'm the witch, remember?"

"I'll show you who's a witch as soon as I get over there."

"Well quit dawdling and get over here. Time's a wasting."

Jean snarled in frustration. "I hate you."

Hermione smiled back. "Sure you do Mum. Come on so we can finish and I can take you to lunch. The longer you stand there the longer it is to get a seat at Hannah's table."

Jean took another tentative step. The support belt she was wearing dug into her ribs and irritated the fire out of her. The ache on her sternum didn't help. Robert cracked three of her ribs doing CPR and they were slowly healing. But she had to wear it. The therapist said it was necessary while she was building her legs back up. She could fall and they'd be back at step one.

"Two more and you can rest."

"You're just saying that 'cause you know they will make me do something else."

"Sorry Mum. Today's rehab is lunch with the Weasley wives. Getting you into the restaurant and back will be the exercise for the day. You've got it easy. I'm the one who has to maneuver your wheelchair into that hole in the wall."

Jean shook the roof with her laughter. "You're right about that. Hannah's restaurant is literally a hole in the wall."

* * *

Jean sat down at the chair in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron. She hadn't been in the restaurant in decades yet it still looked remarkably similar. "So your friend Hannah runs the pub?"

"She does. She's married to Neville. While he's up at the school teaching she works here. She took over after the war ended and Old Tom retired. She has a knack for cooking and service management, and she's also the gossip queen for us. She hears everything and knows everyone. She's something else. I couldn't do what she does."

"Sure you can."

"Not like Hannah can. She's like Molly in the kitchen – there's not a thing that Hannah can't fix or someone she doesn't know. I can function in a kitchen but nowhere near what Hannah can accomplish. She is amazing."

Hermione turned around at the sudden hug behind her head and smiled at her sister in law Ginny. She always was the most prompt, only so she could claim her preferred seat next to Hermione. They exchanged kisses on each cheek before Ginny turned and hugged Jean.

"It's so nice to see you Ginny. Are you lost without the kids?"

"Hardly. I'm going to enjoy a quiet afternoon having adult conversation. I made the excuse to stop in and see that wench Parkinson about the latest assignments for the Fall Quidditch season. She's mental thinking she can send me to Bulgaria to cover the English match. I called her on it so she's sending someone else. So instead I get the Irish versus French match the same weekend. At least then I can be home immediately instead of being away for a night. Harry'd be in a bind with Lily if I wasn't home at night right now. It'd be so much easier on everyone if I could take her with me on these travelling assignments."

Jean got another hug around the neck. She turned and saw Angelina towering behind her. "Sorry I'm late. George is a fiend right now, deep in his cauldrons and I had to make sure we had someone working the register while I came over. Then again I promised I'd bring back lunch for that prat of a husband of mine. You'd think he'd know better."

Jean stole a glance at her daughter and Hermione smiled. Hermione knew that her Mum was still getting accustomed to how blunt Angelina could be at times.

Jean felt a kiss on her left cheek and was greeted by another dark haired Weasley wife. Audrey Weasley rarely joined them for lunch but scheduled today as a working lunch. Audrey was helping Jean recover after the heart attack, learning coping tools to manage her stress. They had become fast friends.

"Where's Molly? I thought she'd be here already."

"Speak of the Devil and there she walks," Ginny muttered in her stage voice.

Jean turned her head and saw Molly Weasley bustling into the pub. She attempted to stand up from her chair and was fussed at by each of the ladies' in her company. She sat promptly back down at their insistence.

Molly took the seat next to Jean and the ladies' shared a long hug. A peck on each cheek and they were ready for their party to start.

The table was piled with presents, all wrapped in various shades. Hermione might have been the birthday girl today but she needed no gifts. Having her Mum sitting next to her – and having rehabilitated their relationship – was the best gift she could have gotten on her 34th birthday.

_**Fin**_

* * *

**A/N2:** My thanks to the lovely and talented Wazilb for letting me bounce ideas off of her and the encouragement to write this rabid plot dragon (it grew from a bunny right before my eyes); Coyotelaughingsoftly for the read-through before this was published (and telling me I got the M part of it hot enough); Julie (bronzedragon) for the distilled seminar on pharmacology in a hospital setting, along with clarification and medical verification …. And K, whom I said I would put into the story because he's finally found a home to call his own. Thanks to everyone for the help in wrangling this rabid dragon. - DG


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